Factory worker demographics and statistics in the US
Factory worker demographics research summary. Zippia estimates factory worker demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our factory worker estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about factory workers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 273,436 factory workers currently employed in the United States.
- 43.1% of all factory workers are women, while 56.9% are men.
- The average factory worker age is 38 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of factory workers is White (66.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (13.9%), Black or African American (9.9%) and Asian (5.5%).
- Factory workers are most in-demand in Uniontown, PA.
- The automotive industry is the highest-paying for factory workers.
- 9% of all factory workers are LGBT.
On this page
Factory worker demographics by:
Factory worker gender statistics
43.1% of factory workers are women and 56.9% of factory workers are men.
- Male, 56.9%
- Female, 43.1%
Factory worker gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 56.9% |
| Female | 43.1% |
Factory worker gender pay gap
Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$30,109
Female income
$29,495
Factory worker gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in factory worker positions over time. Currently, 43.1% of factory workers are female.
Factory worker gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 62.87% | 37.13% |
| 2011 | 73.32% | 26.68% |
| 2012 | 64.72% | 35.28% |
| 2013 | 68.65% | 31.35% |
| 2014 | 66.63% | 33.37% |
| 2015 | 67.12% | 32.88% |
| 2016 | 69.74% | 30.26% |
| 2017 | 61.11% | 38.89% |
| 2018 | 66.53% | 33.47% |
| 2019 | 61.53% | 38.47% |
| 2020 | 66.19% | 33.81% |
| 2021 | 56.91% | 43.09% |
Factory worker related jobs gender ratio
We compared factory workers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, corrugator and stone cutter have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Screen Examiner | 7% | 93% |
| Cake Decorator | 9% | 91% |
| Garment Inspector | 10% | 90% |
| Factory Worker | 57% | 43% |
| Bucket Operator | 99% | 1% |
| Stone Cutter | 99% | 1% |
| Corrugator | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Factory worker demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among factory workers is White, which makes up 66.2% of all factory workers. Comparatively, 13.9% of factory workers are Hispanic or Latino and 9.9% of factory workers are Black or African American.
- White, 66.2%
- Hispanic or Latino, 13.9%
- Black or African American, 9.9%
- Asian, 5.5%
- Unknown, 3.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
Factory worker race
| Factory worker race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 66.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 13.9% |
| Black or African American | 9.9% |
| Asian | 5.5% |
| Unknown | 3.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.8% |
Factory worker race and ethnicity over time
See how factory worker racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Factory worker race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 69.58% | 10.61% | 3.91% | 13.56% |
| 2011 | 67.24% | 12.31% | 5.40% | 11.56% |
| 2012 | 70.64% | 9.78% | 4.79% | 10.67% |
| 2013 | 69.12% | 8.76% | 5.10% | 14.19% |
| 2014 | 69.59% | 9.97% | 6.67% | 11.17% |
| 2015 | 67.13% | 8.44% | 5.77% | 15.72% |
| 2016 | 67.51% | 10.46% | 5.43% | 12.94% |
| 2017 | 68.44% | 12.23% | 5.07% | 11.31% |
| 2018 | 71.14% | 8.78% | 4.11% | 12.62% |
| 2019 | 73.68% | 9.44% | 5.84% | 7.88% |
| 2020 | 72.12% | 6.96% | 3.46% | 9.52% |
| 2021 | 66.15% | 9.91% | 5.50% | 13.87% |
Factory worker wage gap by race
According to our data, white factory workers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american factory workers have the lowest average salary at $29,765.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $29,886 |
| White | $30,590 |
| Black or African American | $29,765 |
| Asian | $30,220 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $30,089 |
Average factory worker age
See how the average age of factory workers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Factory worker age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| White | 33 | 39.5 |
| Black or African American | 36 | 50 |
| Asian | 45.5 | 51 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 31 | 46 |
Factory worker age breakdown
The average age of factory workers is 40+ years years old, representing 41% of the factory worker population.
Factory worker age breakdown
| Factory Worker Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 41% |
| 30-40 years | 25% |
| 20-30 years | 29% |
Factory worker educational attainment
The most common degree for factory workers is high school diploma, with 51% of factory workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 15% and bachelor's degree degree at 14%.
- High School Diploma, 51%
- Bachelor's, 15%
- Associate, 14%
- Diploma, 12%
- Other Degrees, 8%
Factory workers by degree level
| Factory worker degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 51% |
| Bachelor's | 15% |
| Associate | 14% |
| Diploma | 12% |
| Other Degrees | 8% |
Factory worker jobs you might like
Factory worker employment statistics
Most factory workers work for a private in the manufacturing industry.
Company size where factory workers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where factory workers work.
Factory worker jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 8% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 15% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 12% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 27% |
| > 10,000 employees | 33% |
Factory worker jobs by company type
Employees with the factory worker job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most factory workers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Factory worker jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 30% |
| Private | 69% |
| Government | 0% |
Factory worker jobs by industry
The most common industries for factory workers are manufacturing, professional and automotive.
Factory worker industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 31% |
| Professional | 15% |
| Fortune 500 | 14% |
| Automotive | 9% |
| Retail | 6% |
| Transportation | 5% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Construction | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
Factory worker turnover and employment statistics
Factory worker unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for factory workers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Factory worker unemployment rate by year
| Year | Factory worker unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 23.83% |
| 2011 | 17.00% |
| 2012 | 17.32% |
| 2013 | 14.34% |
| 2014 | 11.35% |
| 2015 | 12.96% |
| 2016 | 12.71% |
| 2017 | 10.93% |
| 2018 | 10.31% |
| 2019 | 9.77% |
| 2020 | 12.39% |
| 2021 | 13.03% |
Average factory worker tenure
The average factory worker stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 17,126 factory workers resumes in Zippia's database.
Factory worker tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 48% |
| 1-2 years | 25% |
| 3-4 years | 9% |
| 5-7 years | 9% |
| 8-10 years | 3% |
| 11+ years | 6% |
Factory worker LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of factory workers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Brick Tester | 4.47% | 6,903 |
| Technical Machine Operator | 4.75% | 161,742 |
| Porcelain Technician | 5.24% | 6,221 |
| Box Stamper | 7.84% | 580 |
| Oilseed Meat Presser | 8.41% | 7,947 |
| Factory Worker | 8.89% | - |
| Print Retoucher | 15.21% | 474 |
Similar factory worker jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Brick Tester | 4.47% | 6,903 |
| Technical Machine Operator | 4.75% | 161,742 |
| Porcelain Technician | 5.24% | 6,221 |
| Box Stamper | 7.84% | 580 |
| Oilseed Meat Presser | 8.41% | 7,947 |
| Print Retoucher | 15.21% | 474 |
Foreign languages spoken by factory workers
The most common foreign language among factory workers is Spanish at 67.8%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 7.8% and German is the third-most popular at 5.7%.
- Spanish, 67.8%
- French, 7.8%
- German, 5.7%
- Japanese, 3.3%
- Italian, 2.9%
- Other, 12.5%
Factory worker languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 67.8% |
| French | 7.8% |
| German | 5.7% |
| Japanese | 3.3% |
| Italian | 2.9% |
| Other | 12.5% |
