Post Job

Manufacturing Associate Education Requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Usually, manufacturing associates don't need a college education. The most common degree for manufacturing associates is bachelor's degree with 40% graduates, with only 28% manufacturing associate graduates earning high school diploma. Manufacturing associates who decided to graduate from college often finish University of California - Davis or University of Phoenix. Some good skills to have in this position include basic math, cell culture and math.

Popular manufacturing associate certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate , Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), or Forklift Safety and Inspector. To improve manufacturing associate qualification and skills, we prepared some online courses to help in manufacturing associate education paths.

What education do you need to become a manufacturing associate?

What degree do you need to be a manufacturing associate?

The most common degree for manufacturing associates is bachelor's degree, with 40% of manufacturing associates earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 28% and high school diploma degree at 17%.
  • Bachelor's, 40%
  • High School Diploma, 28%
  • Associate, 17%
  • Diploma, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a manufacturing associate?

You should major in biology to become a manufacturing associate. 19% of manufacturing associates major in biology. Other common majors for a manufacturing associate include business and general studies.

Best majors for manufacturing associates

RankMajorPercentages
1Biology18.7%
2Business18.2%
3General Studies7.8%
4Electrical Engineering5.5%
5Biotechnology5.3%

20 best online courses for manufacturing associates

Advertising Disclosure

1. Semiconductor Packaging Manufacturing

coursera

This course will provide information on the various stages of semiconductor package manufacturing, including sort, assembly, and final test. In addition, we will also describe how to select, build, and test the packages with the die and other components to ensure the quality of the package and total assembly performance. We will also discuss the role of Process Control Systems in semiconductor manufacturing as they relate to quality testing. Specifically, we will explore how Process Control...

2. Sensor Manufacturing and Process Control

coursera

"Sensor Manufacturing and Process Control" can also be taken for academic credit as ECEA 5343, part of CU Boulder’s Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree. This is our fourth course in our specialization on Embedding Sensor and Motors. To get the most out of this course, you should first take our first course entitled "Sensors and Sensor Circuits", our second course entitled "Motor and Motor Control Circuits", and our third course entitled "Pressure, Force, Motion, and Humidity...

3. Manufacturing process selection and Design for manufacturing

udemy
4.5
(657)

Learn about the basics of selecting process for a mechanical design and the principles of design for Manufacturing...

4. Basic Certificate in Health Safety & Environment-HSE Level 2

udemy
4.4
(355)

A comprehensive course for Safety Officers, Supervisors, Managers and Aspiring Safety Professionals...

5. Introduction to Mechanical Engineering Design and Manufacturing with Fusion 360

coursera

Design for manufacturing is the process of designing parts, components, or products with the understanding surrounding design requirements for a specific manufacturing method. This course explores the design for manufacture workflow and shows how to validate models and create the G code, the programming language needed to instruct the CNC machine on how to move. We practice the basics of part and assembly design, and tools such as animation, rendering, and simulations using Autodesk Fusion 360...

6. Design for Additive Manufacturing

coursera

Should a part be made with additive manufacturing? If so, what process should one select, and what design choices should one make? This course seeks to answer these questions by providing a framework called the DFAM staircase, and by providing a scorecard for assessing appropriateness for additive manufacturing. The necessary elements for each course are lecture videos, knowledge checks, and project completion. For additional information on certain topics, I've included supplemental readings...

7. Manufacturing Guide for Mechanical Product Development

udemy
4.9
(491)

Learn how everyday physical products are manufactured with no prior experience in engineering...

8. Fundamentals of Manufacturing for an ERP like SAP

udemy
4.5
(464)

Manufacturing Fundamentals...

9. Additive Manufacturing

coursera

This course, Additive Manufacturing, is the third course in the Coursera Specialization, Digital Technologies and the Future of Manufacturing. In this course, learners will be introduced to the concept of Additive Manufacturing, learn how it is applied in manufacturing, and what businesses should consider as they decide to implement this technology. Considerations include the economics of the technology, information technology infrastructure, manufacturing ecosystem partners, the business value...

10. Intro to Digital Manufacturing with Autodesk Fusion 360

coursera

The manufacturing industry is making a digital transformation, allowing companies to customize production through advances in machine learning, sustainable design, generative design, and collaboration, with integrated design and manufacturing processes. This course introduces innovations in CAD and digital manufacturing, speaking to the rapid changes taking place that are forever transforming the future of making. This course will also explore foundational concepts behind Autodesk® Fusion 360™...

11. The Production Part Approval Process (PPAP)

udemy
4.5
(1,218)

The 18-step process for ensuring new parts are consistently manufactured and meet their customers' quality expectations...

12. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System

udemy
4.4
(976)

Understand the requirements for a food safety management system applicable for any organization in the food chain...

13. Autodesk CAD/CAM for Manufacturing

coursera

Manufacturers are under more pressure than ever to deliver better products faster, at lower cost, and with less waste.\n\nThe “throw-it-over-the-wall” approach to product development worked well enough in the past. But to compete in the future, you’ll need to connect and automate design and manufacturing processes.\n\nComputers can handle complex tasks that are time consuming or in some cases impossible for the human mind. This is the case when we use digital data to create complex tool motions...

14. OSHA Safety Pro: Personal Protective Equipment

udemy
4.5
(1,881)

Impress management or get that job with you your ability to display life and dollar saving work place safety practices...

15. Understanding and Troubleshooting SIP

udemy
4.4
(1,413)

Practical Labs and a free SIP server...

16. Inventory Management in Manufacturing

udemy
4.6
(417)

Complete course on Inventory Management...

17. Process Capability Analysis

udemy
4.7
(1,808)

A Powerful Tool Set for Understanding your Manufacturing Process Relative to Your Customers' Quality Expectations...

18. Introduction to SIP

udemy
4.5
(2,358)

Learn how to implement, support, and troubleshoot SIP by understanding the protocol...

19. ISO 9001:2015 Quality management system auditor

udemy
4.5
(7,832)

Upgrade your career by learning how to implement and audit a quality management system according to ISO 9001...

20. Process/Chemical Engineering - BOOTCAMP 2021

udemy
4.2
(448)

The only course with over 10 hours practical knowledge about main process equipment Design, Control and Safety...

Average manufacturing associate salary by education level

Manufacturing Associate education levelManufacturing Associate salary
High School Diploma or Less$34,494

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse production and manufacturing jobs