Manufacturing Industry Snapshot
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Traditional ideas about manufacturing have changed. More and more, manufacturing jobs are high-tech oriented, and skilled workers face little risk of their jobs being outsourced. Wages in manufacturing are among the highest for all areas of industry.
In the Phoenix area, some manufacturing jobs pay wages 10 to 50 percent above the average wage for other jobs in the region. Manufacturing jobs are also in demand. Many manufacturing employers suffer shortages of skilled workers, and retiring Baby Boomers will only increase employment demand. Computer equipment, aerospace, and electronic instruments are some of the largest manufacturing sectors in Greater Phoenix.
Occupation
Average Annual Wage*
Fastest Growing Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, & Systems Assemblers Butchers & Meat Cutters Extruding, Forming, Pressing, & Compacting Machine Operators Food Batchmakers Mixing & Blending Machine Operators
$37,910 $33,320 $33,210 $21,680 $33,570
Largest Number First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Production Workers $54,240 Helpers—Production Workers $24,450 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, & Weighers $35,580 Machinists $39,010 Team Assemblers $25,640 * Source: Arizona Department of Commerce 2009
Essential Industry Transferable Skills •
Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. • Quality Control Analysis — Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance. • Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions. • Operation Monitoring — Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly. Source: O*Net
22 MCCCD CAREER GUIDE
Student, Mesa Community College