Booming Arkansas Industry: Manufacturing
By Arkansas Next on Friday, October 13, 2023
Manufacturing by the Numbers
► There have been 7,000+ new jobs created and retained in manufacturing over the past five years in Arkansas
► 4 million - the number of manufacturing jobs likely needed by 2030 in the U.S.
► $95,990 - average salary earned by U.S. manufacturing workers, including pay and benefits, in 2021
► $66,795 - average annual compensation in Arkansas manufacturing
► 13 million people employed in manufacturing in the U.S. as of June 2023
► 604,000 - number of manufacturing job openings posted in May 2023 alone
► 2,227 manufacturing firms in Arkansas
► Top 10 for economic output and jobs in the firearms and ammunition industry
► 47% of Arkansas manufacturers work with a high school diploma or less
► Top 5 manufacturing sectors in Arkansas: Food/tobacco, primary metal, fabricated metal, wood product and machinery
► 163,000 - total manufacturing employment in Arkansas (Dec. 2021)
► Manufacturers in Arkansas account for 15% of the total output of the state, employing 13% of the workforce
► Largest Arkansas Manufacturers by Number of Employees:
- Walmart — 17,550
- George’s Inc. — 2,100
- tyson Foods Inc. — 2,000
- Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. — 1,800
- Cooper Tire 7 rubber Company — 1,792
(Sources: nam.org, arkansasedc.com, themanufacturinginstitute.org, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau)
Meet The Pros
Made in Arkansas
Did you know that so many well-known products are made so close to home? Check them out, everything from cupcakes to power boats.
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More Jobs in Manufacturing
| Trade | What They Do | Education Level Needed | Median Salary in AR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing Engineers | Design or improve manufacturing systems or related processes. May work with designers to refine product designs to increase producibility and decrease costs. | Bachelor’s degree | $81,960 |
| Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians | Apply engineering theory to problems of industrial manufacturing production under the direction of engineering staff. | Associate degree | $49,180 |
| Millwrights | Install, take apart or move equipment and machinery according to layout plans or blueprints. | Apprenticeship | $49,350 |
| Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Technicians, Operators and Tenders | Hand-welding or brazing equipment to join metal components and fill holes, dents or seams of fabricated metal products. | 1-12 months on-the-job training | $38,130 |
| Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Operate and/or tend to milling and plans for machines to mill, plane, shape, groove, or profile metal or plastic work pieces. | 1-12 months on-the-job training | $35,360 |
| Photonics Engineer | Build and maintain optical or fiber optic equipment, such as lasers, lenses or mirrors. | Associate degree | $59,800 |
| Team Assemblers | Work as part of a team with the responsibility of assembling an entire product or one component of a product. | 1-12 months on-the-job training | $34,530 |
| Industrial Production Managers | Direct or coordinate the work activities and resources necessary for manufacturing products with cost, quality and quantity specifications in mind. | Bachelor’s degree | $101,380 |
| Quality Control Systems Managers | Direct or coordinate quality assurance programs and formulate quality control policies and production efforts. | Bachelor’s degree | $102,420 |
| Robotics Technicians | Build, install, test or maintain robotic equipment or related automated production systems. | Associate degree | $60,570 |
(Sources: careeronestop.org)
