5 Manufacturing Career Misconceptions

If you know anything about manufacturing careers, you will know that they get a bad rap. A lot of people - wrongly! - see manufacturing as a hard, dirty and very manual job in an environment that is not very nice. Though this might have been the case many years ago, it’s a dated and incorrect view of the industry. It’s now a clean and advanced industry, and the careers manufacturing offers are highly sought after. To help debunk a few manufacturing myths, we have taken a look at five of the most common manufacturing career misconceptions.

Manufacturing Only Offers ‘Dead End’ Jobs

A lot of people wrongly assume that manufacturing jobs are a ‘dead end’ and unlikely to result in a progressive career, but that’s not the case. It’s an industry that has advanced a lot in recent years, and there are many impressive careers to choose from, with more being developed all the time. There are managerial, supervisor, specialist and technical jobs available. There’s something for a variety of skill sets and interests.

Manufacturing Jobs are Not Secure

With technology having a growing impact on the manufacturing industry, many people worry that manufacturing jobs are not secure. There is a common misconception that eventually, technology and machines will replace labor and workers. However, machines and technology are unlikely to have this much of an impact. Though they are certainly transforming the world of manufacturing, we are a long way from having them replace workers completely. This means that manufacturing jobs are secure and stable.

There Aren’t Many Manufacturing Jobs Around

One of the biggest misconceptions about manufacturing jobs is that there aren’t many out there, that the demand for the jobs is low. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. There is a constant stream of manufacturing jobs, and more are always being created, especially now that so many SMEs are coming into the picture.

Manufacturing is a Poorly Paid Industry

Many people assume that the wages are low in the manufacturing industry, but that isn’t true. There are plenty of well-paid roles within the manufacturing industry, and the average manufacturing worker in the US earns over $33,000 per annum. This is a lot higher than many other industries. If you choose a job in the manufacturing industry that could lead to a career, such as working as a manager or specialist, you can expect to earn a lot more.

Manufacturing Requires You to Get Dirty

Long ago, factories were dirty places, and manufacturing was a dirty industry to work in. However, things have changed in a big way. In order to make high-quality and high-precision products, manufacturers need to have a clean environment. Otherwise, they run the risk of damaging the quality of their products and their reputation as a company. This is why the majority of manufacturing premises are clean, sanitary and well-cared-for places to work.

Now that five of the most common misconceptions have been explained and you have a better insight into the industry, is a manufacturing career something that you would consider?