What does a manufacturing labour do?
Manufacturing labor workers perform unspecialized labor in the course of the manufacturing process. They are responsible for assisting in the manufacturing assembly line, feeding materials into the machinery, assembling items, packaging items, storing items, cleaning and maintaining the manufacturing equipment, combining ingredients according to the given formula, and keeping records of information such as products tested, meter readings and dates and times of manufacturing. They are also required to lubricate equipment and load and unload items.
Manufacturing labour responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real manufacturing labour resumes:
- 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.
- Operate machinery- loader, forklift, and bobcat.
- Operate forklift, run mill see, and heavy lifting.
- Stock parts on racks for ordersInput data in computer system using simple math
- Load mail freight into trucks, off-load storage units, stock groceries in stores
- Dig and replace irrigation system, as well as implant grass and mulch.
- Maintain grounds plant flowers cut grass trim trees wash meat screens pressure wash pick.
- Work fast pace in repeatedly manner to label merchandise using RF scanner and hot blowguns.
- Maintain a clean and safe work environment while staying within the perimeters of ISO 9001-2000.
- Operate mowers, weed eaters, hedgers, trimmers, tractors, blowers, etc.
- Gain experience with various process (es) associate with sand casting (aluminum & steel).
- Cut material using math to certain specs as well as how many pieces need to be cut.
Manufacturing labour skills and personality traits
We calculated that 32% of Manufacturing Labours are proficient in Hand Tools, Tape Measure, and Pallets. They’re also known for soft skills such as Hand-eye coordination, Listening skills, and Physical strength.
We break down the percentage of Manufacturing Labours that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Hand Tools, 32%
Operated various hand tools and machines to sort and package quality stone products.
- Tape Measure, 16%
Pipe readings will be performed hourly using micrometer to measure thickness and tape measure to determine the length of the pipe.
- Pallets, 11%
Operated equipment including tow motor, cardboard baler, trash compactor, and pallet jacks.
- Jigs, 10%
Worked with jig welding and metal bending equipment on a strict quota.
- Quality Checks, 7%
Monitored the production process and carried out basic testing and quality checks.
- Basic Math, 7%
Performed basic math calculation and record data into computer tracking systems.
"hand tools," "tape measure," and "pallets" are among the most common skills that manufacturing labours use at work. You can find even more manufacturing labour responsibilities below, including:
Hand-eye coordination. One of the key soft skills for a manufacturing labour to have is hand-eye coordination. You can see how this relates to what manufacturing labours do because "most hand laborers and material movers use their arms and hands to manipulate objects or move objects into specific positions." Additionally, a manufacturing labour resume shows how manufacturing labours use hand-eye coordination: "worked in coordination with customers and fts delivery to provide prompt quality service. "
Listening skills. Another essential skill to perform manufacturing labour duties is listening skills. Manufacturing labours responsibilities require that "hand laborers and material movers follow instructions that a supervisor gives them." Manufacturing labours also use listening skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "followed the proper safety guidelines for a safe work environment and communicated with supervisor daily. "
Physical strength. manufacturing labours are also known for physical strength, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to manufacturing labour responsibilities, because "some hand laborers and material movers must be able to lift and carry heavy objects." A manufacturing labour resume example shows how physical strength is used in the workplace: "maintain computerized inventory records, take physical count periodically, and check against inventory control totals using computer. "
Customer-service skills. A big part of what manufacturing labours do relies on "customer-service skills." You can see how essential it is to manufacturing labour responsibilities because "hand laborers and material movers who work with the public, such as grocery baggers or carwash attendants, must be pleasant and courteous to customers." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical manufacturing labour tasks: "contributed to the completion of over 98,550 customer orders; directly contributing to overall company success. "
The three companies that hire the most manufacturing labours are:
- PeopleReady638 manufacturing labours jobs
- SPAR Group204 manufacturing labours jobs
- Ashley HomeStore181 manufacturing labours jobs
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Compare different manufacturing labours
Manufacturing labour vs. Film crew
The typical tasks of a freight associate include stocking merchandise on shelves, organizing the sales floor, and providing excellent customer service. Freight associates load and unload trucks and transfer the items from the receiving area to the store. Some of them may operate heavy equipment like forklifts. They may work on the critical functions of equipment for proper maintenance. Also, they maintain the cleanliness of the sales floor and the work area on a regular basis.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a manufacturing labour are more likely to require skills like "hand tools," "tape measure," "pallets," and "jigs." On the other hand, a job as a film crew requires skills like "customer service," "pos," "ticket sales," and "excellent guest." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
On average, film crews reach similar levels of education than manufacturing labours. Film crews are 0.4% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Manufacturing labour vs. Freight associate
Stock unloaders are workers in charge of unloading goods and items from the truck into the store. The unloaders move the products in a warehouse, distribution center, or any industrial facility. They stock the shelves in stores, work with the general merchandise team, and clean the processing center. It is also their responsibility to enforce procedures and policies for departmental operations. The skills necessary to carry out this job include strong communication skills, leadership, and attention to detail.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that manufacturing labour responsibilities requires skills like "hand tools," "tape measure," "pallets," and "jigs." But a freight associate might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "sales floor," "cleanliness," "customer service," and "sort merchandise."
In general, freight associates achieve similar levels of education than manufacturing labours. They're 0.6% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Manufacturing labour vs. Stock unloader
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a manufacturing labour is likely to be skilled in "hand tools," "tape measure," "jigs," and "quality checks," while a typical stock unloader is skilled in "sales floor," "store shelves," "customer service," and "stock shelves."
When it comes to education, stock unloaders tend to earn similar degree levels compared to manufacturing labours. In fact, they're 1.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Manufacturing labour vs. Truck unloader
Even though a few skill sets overlap between manufacturing labours and truck unloaders, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a manufacturing labour might have more use for skills like "hand tools," "tape measure," "jigs," and "quality checks." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of truck unloaders require skills like "electric pallet jack," "sales floor," "customer service," and "stock shelves. "
Truck unloaders enjoy the best pay in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $37,090. For comparison, manufacturing labours earn the highest salary in the finance industry.truck unloaders reach similar levels of education compared to manufacturing labours, in general. The difference is that they're 1.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.7% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of manufacturing labour
Updated January 8, 2025
