How To Become A Manufacturing Labour: What It Is and Career Path

What is a manufacturing labour and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Manufacturing laborers work in factories or other production sites, generally taking care of one specific task only. They work the assembly line or operate production machinery, setting up, starting, and stopping equipment. They might measure, mix, and feed materials into the machines and monitor them to make sure the products meet quality demands. Assembling parts of products may be part of the job as well.

Working in this position, you will be responsible for cleaning and maintaining machinery as well. You will make sure your working area is clean and up to speed with safety regulations. You will have to remove faulty products from the production line, and you might also be responsible for recording various production data used later on for quality reports.

You can take on this role with a high school diploma, as this is an entry-level job, and training is generally provided once you get hired. You will need physical stamina and the ability to endure repetitive tasks for long hours, typically working in rotating shifts. You can expect to make around $13.41 per hour in this position.

ScoreManufacturing LabourUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,322

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.4

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.07%

Asian 5.09%

Black or African American 12.12%

Hispanic or Latino 17.34%

Unknown 5.16%

White 59.22%

Gender

female 21.78%

male 78.22%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress Level

6.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

4.7

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

4.4

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a manufacturing labour

Explore manufacturing labour education requirements

Most common manufacturing labour degrees

High School Diploma

43.7 %

Associate

20.0 %

Bachelor's

14.9 %

Start to develop specific manufacturing labour skills

Skills	Percentages
Hand Tools	31.87%
Tape Measure	15.72%
Pallets	10.62%
Jigs	9.50%
Quality Checks	7.31%

Complete relevant manufacturing labour training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New manufacturing labours learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a manufacturing labour based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real manufacturing labour resumes.

Research manufacturing labour duties and responsibilities

Manage mulching, fertilizing, watering and mowing activities.
Operate CNC lathe machine and drill press.
Prepare groceries for stores across Springfield and Joplin by building pallets for shipment in a timely and organize manner
Receive general training in ISO standards.

Prepare your manufacturing labour resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your manufacturing labour resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a manufacturing labour resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Manufacturing Labour Resume templates

Build a professional Manufacturing Labour resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Manufacturing Labour resume.