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 |
10-Year Separation Demand |
10-Year Growth Demand |
10-Year |
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.
Wage by Experience Level |
|||
Team Assembler |
|||
Entry |
Median |
Experienced |
|
KC |
$ 27,700 |
$ 37,900 |
$ 46,300 |
US |
$ 21,500 |
$ 30,100 |
$ 38,100 |
First Line Supervisor of Production and Operating Workers |
|||
Entry |
Median |
Experienced |
|
KC |
$ 37,900 |
$ 60,700 |
$ 72,100 |
US |
$ 37,300 |
$ 57,800 |
$ 73,500 |
Machinists |
|||
Entry |
Median |
Experienced |
|
KC |
$ 37,900 |
$ 41,500 |
$ 48,000 |
US |
$ 37,300 |
$ 41,700 |
$ 50,700 |
Source: JobsEQ 2017 Q3
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