Manufacturing Pay: Engineers, Supervisors and Skilled Trades (US Data)
US wage data for engineers, production managers, supervisors and skilled trades in manufacturing, plus what overtime, unions and licensure change.
Published by SalaryBases. Drafted with AI assistance and revised to remove or reword figures we could not trace to a source. Not reviewed by a licensed professional. Pay figures come only from the official datasets named beside each table and apply only to the country, year and definition stated there. Methodology
Manufacturing covers jobs from engineers designing products to machinists and welders running production. This guide replaces our separate mechanical engineer page with one set of verified US figures for the sector. The occupations below are not limited to factories, so read the tables as pay for the occupation rather than for "the manufacturing industry" as a whole.
Engineers
| Occupation (SOC) | 10th pct. | Median | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineers (17-2141) | $73,990 | $104,110 | $164,340 |
| Industrial Engineers (17-2112) | $74,370 | $102,440 | $159,860 |
| Electrical Engineers (17-2071) | $76,550 | $120,630 | $184,300 |
| Aerospace Engineers (17-2011) | $86,700 | $134,960 | $205,890 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers (11-9041) | $120,810 | $171,270 | $262,760 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Scope: United States, national estimates, all industries, annual wages in US dollars (retrieved 9 October 2026). The median is the middle wage: half of the workers in the occupation earn more and half earn less; 10th/90th percentile mean 10% earn less/more. The survey covers wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments and excludes the self-employed, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, equity and employer benefit costs. BLS methodology.
Mechanical engineers have a median of $104,110 and industrial engineers $102,440. Electrical engineers ($120,630) and aerospace engineers ($134,960) are higher, and architectural and engineering managers have a median of $171,270. Inside each occupation the range is wide: for mechanical engineers the 10th to 90th percentile spans $73,990 to $164,340.
Do you need a licence?
Most engineers in manufacturing do not need a Professional Engineer (PE) licence. It is generally required for engineers who sign and seal work offered directly to the public, and requirements are set by each US state board. Check the rules for your state and specialty. We have no verified figure for any pay premium from licensure, so we quote none.
Production, operations and skilled trades
| Occupation (SOC) | 10th pct. | Median | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Production Managers (11-3051) | $78,000 | $126,060 | $205,520 |
| Logisticians (13-1081) | $50,890 | $82,320 | $133,160 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers (51-1011) | $47,130 | $74,450 | $108,750 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics (49-9041) | $46,120 | $64,520 | $95,170 |
| Machinists (51-4041) | $39,200 | $58,750 | $80,010 |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers (51-4121) | $39,240 | $53,750 | $77,530 |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers (51-9061) | $35,510 | $48,570 | $77,860 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Scope: United States, national estimates, all industries, annual wages in US dollars (retrieved 9 October 2026). The median is the middle wage: half of the workers in the occupation earn more and half earn less; 10th/90th percentile mean 10% earn less/more. The survey covers wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments and excludes the self-employed, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, equity and employer benefit costs. BLS methodology.
Industrial production managers have a median of $126,060 and logisticians $82,320. Among hands-on occupations, first-line supervisors of production and operating workers have a median of $74,450, industrial machinery mechanics $64,520, machinists $58,750, welders $53,750 and inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers and weighers $48,570.
What the data leaves out
- Overtime and shift differentials are excluded from the survey, and in many plants they are a significant part of take-home pay.
- Union contracts set pay scales for many production jobs; those scales are negotiated per employer and are not part of the figures above.
- Benefits such as health insurance and retirement contributions are not included.
- Local labour markets differ. BLS publishes state and metropolitan tables for the same occupations if you want local figures.
Skills and routes in
Employers hiring for automated and digitally controlled equipment often look for technical skills in programming, maintenance and data. Formal apprenticeships exist for many skilled trades. Check job postings and training programmes in your area to see what employers require, and note that we do not have a verified pay premium for any specific certification.
Putting this to use
Compare an offer with the percentile range for your occupation, then add overtime and shift pay the way your employer pays it. The Overtime Calculator and Hourly Wage Calculator convert between hourly and annual pay, and the Job Offer Comparator compares full packages.
Key takeaways
- Engineering medians in the table run from $102,440 to $134,960, with architectural and engineering managers at $171,270.
- Skilled-trade medians run from $48,570 (inspectors and testers) to $74,450 (first-line production supervisors).
- Overtime, shift pay and union scales are not in the figures, so real pay can differ.
- A PE licence is needed only for some engineering work; check your state board.
Sources used in this guide
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025: methodology and tables — Every wage figure in the tables above (each row links to its own BLS occupation profile).