Industry Overviews - Manufacturing

Manufacturing Employment Trend

Manufacturing levels have risen in Kansas City over the past 5 years, but overall employment is down in the longer-term. Since 2001, manufacturing employment is down 13 percent, while overall employment is up 8 percent.

 

Despite the decline, Kansas City’s manufacturing employment has not declined as much as the nation’s. Like Kansas City, manufacturing nationally has added jobs in recent years, but it is down over 25 percent since 2001.

 

 

 

 

Source: JobsEQ 2017 Q3

 

 

Manufacturing Employment Detail

A more detailed look at Kansas City’s manufacturing industry shows a large concentration in transportation equipment. Kansas City is home to two auto manufacturers (Ford and GM) as well as a Harley Davidson plant.

 

Kansas City also specializes in fabricated metal, food, chemical, machinery, printing and computer and electronic products.

 

 

 

Source: JobsEQ 2017 Q3

 

 

Top Occupations Within Manufacturing

Team assembler is by far the largest occupation within Kansas City’s manufacturing industry. The metro’s 10,000+ assemblers make an average wage of $40,100.

 

Occupation	Current Employment	Regional Average Wage	10-Year Separation Demand	10-Year Growth Demand	10-Year Total Demand
Team Assemblers	10153.9	$40,100	11330.8	(689.10)	10641.7
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	3030.9	$60,700	2890.2	(37.40)	2852.8
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand	1622.6	$29,700	2168.4	(22.40)	2146
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders	1870.1	$34,800	2108.5	(38.20)	2070.3
Helpers--Production Workers	1341.3	$30,100	1952	(51.30)	1900.6
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers	1959.5	$42,800	2121.9	(332.50)	1789.4
Machinists	1452.6	$41,800	1452.3	2.80	1455.1
Sales Rep. Manufacturing, Ex. Technical and Scientific Products	1557.1	$66,500	1517.4	(72.70)	1444.7
Printing Press Operators	1679.1	$43,200	1634.1	(228.10)	1406
Welders, Cutters, Brazers	1303.7	$42,500	1366.5	1.50	1368
Packers and Packagers, Hand	897.8	$23,700	1310.3	(35.30)	1275
Customer Service Representatives	1068.6	$36,100	1286	(90.70)	1195.3
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General	1129.7	$37,500	1067.4	(28.70)	1038.7
Shipping, Receiving, and Traffic Clerks	1168.9	$33,300	1105.3	(104.50)	1000.7
General and Operations Managers	1301	$111,300	1014.2	(57.50)	956.7
Production Workers, All Other	818.2	$29,800	924.9	19.90	944.8
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	930.9	$45,500	964.1	(21.60)	942.4
Industrial Machinery Mechanics	966.7	$54,400	849.9	75.80	925.7
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators	809.9	$39,100	880.2	(15.00)	865.2
Food Batchmakers	632.5	$31,200	868.4	(5.80)	862.7
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	770.1	$39,700	833.2	(40.80)	792.4
Maintenance Workers, Machinery	732.2	$49,500	749.9	41.00	790.9
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters	798.1	$33,000	857.8	(69.60)	788.2
Office Clerks, General	831.8	$31,800	898.3	(114.40)	784
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	864.6	$36,300	841.8	(68.80)	773

 

 

Source: JobsEQ 2017 Q3

 

 

Wage by Experience Level

In Kansas City, the average annual wage for manufacturing is higher than the overall average ($61,555 to $51,450). This is still a lower average manufacturing wage than the nation however ($67,081).

 

Kansas City’s wages are higher in some key manufacturing occupations. Team assemblers can expect to be paid more in Kansas City regardless of experience. The wages for supervisor and machinist are very comparable to the national averages.

 

 

 

 

Employment by Gender & Race

As in the US, manufacturing is a male dominated industry in terms of employment. Nationally, 69 percent of manufacturing workers are male. That figure is actually higher in the Kansas City MSA (73%).

 

 

In terms of race, just over two-thirds of manufacturing workers are white, followed by 15 percent Hispanic, and 10 percent black. In Kansas City, whites make up nearly three-fourths of all manufacturing employment with blacks making up 12 percent and Hispanic 9 percent.

 

 

 

Source: JobsEQ 2017 Q3

 

 

Manufacturing Employment Levels

As integral as manufacturing is in Kansas City’s economy, it’s 77,626 jobs still account for just 7 percent of the metro total. In some peer metros like Minneapolis-St. Paul, Milwaukee, San Jose and Louisville, manufacturing accounts for well over 10 percent of the jobs.

Peer MSA	Employment	Share of Total	Location Quotient*
Minneapolis	205,198	10%	1.20
Seattle	183,045	9%	1.06
San Jose	171,657	15%	1.82
Portland	128,058	10%	1.25
Cleveland	123,401	11%	1.36
Milwaukee	119,998	14%	1.65
Cincinnati	119,390	11%	1.29
St. Louis	118,762	8%	1.02
San Diego	109,250	7%	0.86
Charlotte	108,196	9%	1.05
Indianapolis	96,276	9%	1.07
Pittsburgh	88,652	7%	0.90
Nashville	88,429	9%	1.06
Louisville	81,980	12%	1.45
Kansas City	77,626	7%	0.85
Columbus	74,008	7%	0.81
Denver	72,388	5%	0.56
Tampa	68,002	5%	0.61
Providence	66,281	9%	1.09
Virginia Beach	64,061	8%	0.98
Austin	59,401	6%	0.68
Baltimore	58,547	4%	0.50
San Antonio	49,764	5%	0.55
Orlando	46,237	4%	0.43
Memphis	45,534	7%	0.83
Sacramento	36,959	4%	0.43
Raleigh	34,991	5%	0.66
Oklahoma City	34,605	5%	0.66
Richmond	32,707	5%	0.58
Jacksonville	31,546	5%	0.54
Las Vegas	24,585	2%	0.29

 

* The Location Quotient (LQ) measures employment specialization in an industry. It is calculated by taking the share of metro workers in manufacturing relative to the share of workers in manufacturing nationally. A LQ of 1 is normal, over 1 indicates an employment specialization in that industry.

 

Source: JobsEQ 2017 Q3