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Job outlook for manufacturing scientists in the United States
Manufacturing scientist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected manufacturing scientist job growth rate is 17% from 2018-2028.
About 20,800 new jobs for manufacturing scientists are projected over the next decade.
Manufacturing scientist salaries have increased 14% for manufacturing scientists in the last 5 years.
There are over 13,145 manufacturing scientists currently employed in the United States.
There are 74,018 active manufacturing scientist job openings in the US.
The average manufacturing scientist salary is $87,366.
Are manufacturing scientist jobs in demand?
Manufacturing scientist job and salary trends over time
Manufacturing scientist jobs over time
Manufacturing scientist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13,145 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 15,272 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 15,402 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 14,571 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 13,526 | 0.00% |
Average manufacturing scientist salary over time
Manufacturing scientist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $87,366 | $42.00 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $84,769 | $40.75 | +4.7% |
| 2023 | $80,969 | $38.93 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $78,372 | $37.68 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $76,883 | $36.96 | --2.1% |
Manufacturing scientist jobs by state
Most common states for manufacturing scientists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,673 | 39% |
| 2 | Delaware | 961,939 | 217 | 23% |
| 3 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,319 | 22% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 295 | 22% |
| 5 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 147 | 21% |
| 6 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,023 | 18% |
| 7 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,774 | 17% |
| 8 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,565 | 17% |
| 9 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 128 | 17% |
| 10 | Vermont | 623,657 | 109 | 17% |
| 11 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,348 | 16% |
| 12 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 143 | 16% |
| 13 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 625 | 15% |
| 14 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 543 | 15% |
| 15 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 164 | 15% |
| 16 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 88 | 15% |
| 17 | California | 39,536,653 | 5,679 | 14% |
| 18 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,065 | 14% |
| 19 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 767 | 14% |
| 20 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 170 | 13% |
Most common cities for manufacturing scientists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chaska | 2 | 8% | $97,225 |
| 2 | Round Lake Beach | 1 | 4% | $74,046 |
| 3 | Carlsbad | 3 | 3% | $97,180 |
| 4 | Chelmsford | 1 | 3% | $90,353 |
| 5 | Schertz | 1 | 3% | $70,345 |
| 6 | Lenexa | 1 | 2% | $65,132 |
| 7 | Frederick | 1 | 1% | $77,316 |
| 8 | Southfield | 1 | 1% | $81,081 |
| 9 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $90,479 |
| 10 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $73,950 |
| 11 | Detroit | 1 | 0% | $81,069 |
| 12 | Fremont | 1 | 0% | $108,421 |
| 13 | San Francisco | 1 | 0% | $108,850 |
| 14 | San Jose | 1 | 0% | $108,274 |
Manufacturing Scientist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of manufacturing scientist experts
Queens University of Charlotte
California State University - East Bay
North Carolina State University
Northern Kentucky University
University of the Pacific
Northern Kentucky University
Washington State University
University of Nebraska - Omaha
Western Washington University
Quinnipiac University
University of Illinois at Springfield
College of Idaho
What general advice would you give to a Manufacturing Scientist?
John Richardson: Skills? Well, both hard and soft... Obviously, you will need to have the basic lab and knowledge skills that would be expected of a competent chemistry graduate. Yes, your new employer will spend time training you in the specific skills that pertain to your new job, but basic knowledge and skill sets (e.g., pipetting, calculating dilution factors, having baseline knowledge of common instrumentation) will be expected. As for soft skills, be friendly, cooperative, and curious. Extend these character traits to both your peers and supervisors. Other useful skills that my former students mention would be having some basic knowledge of business and perhaps coding.
Camellia Okpodu
What general advice would you give to a Manufacturing Scientist?
Camellia Okpodu: Adatation and fundamental knowledge of botanical terms will always be pivotal to the discipline; however new technologies and applications will move the bountiful the discipline. Bioinformatics, genomics; Machine learning, Remote Sensing and VR (both for instruction and field application) will be necessay skills. Also, Botanists will collaborate with experts from diverse fields (ecology, computer science, engineering) thus making effective communication and teamwork critical.skills of the future
What general advice would you give to a Manufacturing Scientist?
Ross Weatherman Ph.D.: Generally, broad training across a number of different types of biochemical and molecular biology methods will make you an attractive candidate to a larger number of employers and expand your potential options, but deep skills in one or two really important techniques areas, such as proteomics or bioinformatics, will make you most attractive to a single employer and improve your salary potential.
What will help Manufacturing Scientists increase their earning potential?
Dr. Michael Marchetti: I think that in the next few years, it will be important to have some wide range of skills across a diversity of sub-disciplines. For example, GIS (geographic information skills), R statistical programming language, modern genetic and genomic techniques, computer programming skills etc. Again, it seems that hard and fast borders/walls separating disciplinary fields are breaking down as our knowledge of the larger biological world expands.
Justin Moss
Assistant ProfessorQueens University of Charlotte
Chemistry
What will help Manufacturing Scientists increase their earning potential?
Justin Moss: The primary duties of a research chemist include designing and conducting experimental procedures, preparing solutions, using specialized equipment, data analytics software, observing safety protocols, reporting work in written documents, and communicating orally in group meetings. Work is done independently and in a team setting.
What general advice would you give to a Manufacturing Scientist?
Monika Sommerhalter: Know your worth and look for opportunities to grow. Set yourself professional goals, whether it is a large goal (such as getting a promotion) or smaller goals (attending a workshop to master a new skill) on an ongoing basis. Keep your resume up-to-date so that it is easier for you to apply for new job opportunities within or outside of your company.
What will help Manufacturing Scientists increase their earning potential?
Meghan McGee-Lawrence Ph.D.: Cast a wide net! A huge variety of career paths can be pursued with a degree like this, including industry, academic research, healthcare, education, and more. It is a very versatile degree, and can be a foundation for a multitude of different professions. Talk to recent graduates from your program (as many as possible!) and see what they did with their degree – the more information you can collect, the better prepared you’ll be to seek out opportunities yourself. Take the time to figure out where your interests lie – and understand that you may have to try a few different paths out before you find the right one for you. The first position you land after graduation doesn’t have to be the job you perform for the next 30 years of your life – so use each opportunity as a learning experience to figure out what you’d really like to do long-term.
What will help Manufacturing Scientists increase their earning potential?
Lucian Lucia: THIS IS A VERY LOADED QUESTION! CHEMISTS RECOGNIZE HOW IMPERATIVE IT REMAINS FOR CHANGING THE QUALITY OF OUR LIVES, YET, WE INTENSELY FEEL AND FACE THE BURDEN OF ITS IMAGE AS A POLLUTING FORCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD. IN MANY WAYS, WE HAVE BROUGHT THE BURDEN ON OURSELVES BY NOT RECOGNIZING AND EMBRACING THE POTENTIAL OF GREEN CHEMISTRY AS A FORCE FOR GOOD AND CHANGE. AS WITH ANY TECHNOLOGY, THERE ARE PROS AND CONS, BUT THE COMMUNITY OF CHEMISTRY HAS NOT SUFFICIENTLY PROVIDED A COGENT ARGUMENT FOR WHY IT SHOULD BE PURSUED BY MANY MORE STUDENTS. TODAY, MORE THAN EVER, IT HAS CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF MANY OTHER DISCIPLINES WHO DIP THEIR FEET IN IT BECAUSE IT IS SO ESSENTIAL TO MANY OF THE CHALLENGES WE ENUMERATED ABOVE. WE ARE A NOBLE PROFESSON, LIKE LAW OR MEDICINE, BUT SHROUDED IN MYSTERY BECAUSE WE DO NOT TEND TO ENGAGE IN ARGUMENTS OVERCOMING THE POLEMICS WE FACE IN SOCIETY. CHEMISTRY CAN DO A LOT OF GOOD, BUT WE NEED TO MANAGE OUR SCIENCE TO FOCUS ON ITS SUSTAINABILITY AND PROCLAIM IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS.
What Manufacturing Scientist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Isabelle Lagadic Ph.D.: I’ve met employers asking me if I could teach my students basic skills like “being on time”, “writing a proper email”, “clearly and carefully documenting their work”, “using critical thinking to stop a recording or an experiment when it is obvious that it is not working”. Those very basic skills that everyone takes for granted in addition of basic technical skills are going to become the most prevalent in the coming years. What’s scary is the collision between the inevitable advancement of Ai in this field and this lack of basic skills. It is difficult to train people on tomorrow’s skills if they don’t already master today’s skills.
What will help Manufacturing Scientists increase their earning potential?
Joseph Harrison: Chemists typically like using their problem-solving skills to advance science, but sometimes Chemists, especially in entry-level positions can be repetitive (i.e., doing the same analysis over and over again)
What Manufacturing Scientist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Patrick Hare: Don’t just look for ‘chemist’ positions. A chemistry degree sets you up to do lots of different things under lots of different names. Once you get a job, keep networking (or if you haven’t done so, start)! Your first position won’t be your last, and having a group you can tap for help getting the next job or just figuring out problems that arise in the current one is very useful.
What will help Manufacturing Scientists increase their earning potential?
Lindsey du Toit: Take every opportunity you can to learn, network, and build an effective team of people that bring a greater breadth and depth of skills and expertise to the work on which you will be focusing. Cultivate a life-long sense of intellectual curiosity and learning. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Treat ignorance as an opportunity to learn. Questions demonstrate you want to understand the situation/problem effectively and that you are paying attention. Always demonstrate integrity in your work. It is one of the most valuable traits you can bring to your career. Be kind and supportive of your colleagues.
What will help Manufacturing Scientists increase their earning potential?
Dr. Daniel King: This is also going to vary dramatically based on the type of chemistry that someone does. Many people like understanding and/or discovering what is going on at a fundamental level, and chemistry provides that opportunity. While many chemists like working in a lab, some chemists do not like lab work, due to the strong smells, the potential health hazards, and/or the repetitiveness of some of the work. Many chemists like the opportunity to learn something new on a regular basis. Some chemists like the pay, which is often good relative to some other professions. The diversity of career paths is popular among chemists. Chemists can work at traditional chemical companies making new chemicals; they can work at pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs; they can work with materials, such as printing and building materials; they can work at cosmetics companies or in the food industry; they can work to understand the environment and/or to solve environmental problems. Many chemistry students might dislike the focus on math or the heavy workload, although this is probably less of an issue for professional chemists, as someone who has become a professional chemist has hopefully chosen a subdiscipline that aligns with their interests.
Andrew Riquier Ph.D.
InstructorUniversity of Nebraska - Omaha
Neurobiology And Neurosciences
What general advice would you give to a Manufacturing Scientist?
Andrew Riquier Ph.D.: Apply for the positions you want, even if you feel underqualified. I know plenty of people who have applied for jobs they didn't quite meet the requirements for, and got hired for other reasons. In my experience, many recent graduates choose to take time to strengthen their resumes by retaking classes, working jobs they don't particularly want to get experience, etc. There is some value in that, particularly if you have been unsuccessful attaining the position you want, or if you want to see if you even enjoy that type of work. But if you are confident in what you want to do, go for it; in the worst-case scenario, you are in the same position you would be if you hadn't applied, but now you have experience applying and have potentially gained a contact in the field.
What Manufacturing Scientist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Josh Kaplan Ph.D.: Demonstrating a skill set that is unique, such as experience with a rare technical research approach, or demonstrating that you can save your employer money by utilizing free resources, can be used to negotiate a higher salary.
Changqing Chen Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorWhat general advice would you give to a Manufacturing Scientist?
Changqing Chen Ph.D.: 1. Analytical skills and communication skills will become more important since they are harder to be replaced by AI. 2. If interested, try to learn some information on AI and machine learning, which will be used more in chemistry in the near future on design and synthesis of new molecules/materials, environmental chemistry, green chemistry, and chemistry education.
What Manufacturing Scientist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Changqing Chen Ph.D.: 1. A chemistry degree provides many opportunities for a wide variety of careers. Jobs can be found in big chemical or pharmaceutical companies, government agencies, small startup companies, as well as educational institutions. Sometimes, if you think outside the box, you can find other opportunities, such as some non-lab jobs (sales, technical support, consulting firms, etc.). If it is hard to find a permanent job you like, start with a temporary position, which might turn into a permanent position if your performance is excellent. 2. You do not need to match exactly what you learned in college with your job responsibilities. Be ready to apply the problem-solving skills you learned in new field/project. 3. Be curious, always eager to learn new skills/knowledge. 4. Be honest, learn from your mistakes.
What will help Manufacturing Scientists increase their earning potential?
Changqing Chen Ph.D.: Try to develop some business skills on product marketing and sales. Try to apply your scientific and engineering skills to business and become an all-around player.
Lisa Cuchara Ph.D.
Professor of Biomedical SciencesQuinnipiac University
Microbiological Sciences And Immunology
What Manufacturing Scientist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Lisa Cuchara Ph.D.: The first and foremost would be Critical Thinking. We live in a world where facts can be easily acquired, sometimes even by asking Siri/Alexa/ChatGPT/Google/etc. But critical thinking is timeless and priceless. I can ask anyone on the street what xyz is and they can look it up, but can they provide advice or interpret.
Also being a good steward towards science and being willing and able to communicate not just with peers as we are trained, but also with the public, the politicians, the board members. John Holdren*, stated that Scientists should be tithing at least 10 percent of their time to public service ... including activism. In the ever growing science denialism that is happening in our country being able to communicate science with the public is important. As Peter Hotaz states, "Anti-science propaganda is "killing Americans in unprecedented numbers,""
*Holdren is an American scientist who served as the senior advisor to President Barack Obama on science and technology issues through his roles as assistant to the president for science and technology, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and a Research Professor in Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government
What general advice would you give to a Manufacturing Scientist?
Lisa Cuchara Ph.D.: Practice both public speaking (presentations, journal clubs, research meetings) as much as possible and also practice "elevator speeches".
Do more than the minimum. Is there a conference you can present at, a journal club you can be involved in, an ASM branch or student chapter to participate in.
What will help Manufacturing Scientists increase their earning potential?
Lisa Cuchara Ph.D.: Be passionate! Be curious! When I write a letter of recommendation I write a little about the obligatory "IQ" elements, how well their exam/assignment/course grade were, then I speak to their EQ, are they kind, helpful, respectful, considerate, etc. and I try to include an example of something that I witnessed regarding EQ. But the majority of the letter discussing PQ and CQ, their passion quotient and their curiosity quotient. A can write a much much better LOR for a student with high PQ and CQ than I can for one with just good grades. What have they read and what do they do in their spare time (and don't say that you can't afford a hobby, you can't afford not to have a hobby or an outlet, otherwise stress takes too much of a toll. Some of my most memorable student conversations are conversations that involved their curiosity, like a conversation about Bonnie Bassler's quorum sensing. Make sure that as you go through life you embrace Einstein's quote 'There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.'
The second piece of advice is: Know what you know, know what you don't know, be willing to admit what you don't know, and don't be afraid to ask questions, but try not to ask questions about simple things that one can easily look up as that indicates laziness rather than inquisitiveness.
The third piece of other advice would be to never give up. As "Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." Calvin Coolidge
Marc Klingshirn Ph.D.
Associate Professor of ChemistryUniversity of Illinois at Springfield
Chemistry
What Manufacturing Scientist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Marc Klingshirn Ph.D.: People are drawn to science for various reasons, but many enjoy science-related fields due to the discovery aspect. Science continually to leads to new questions and subsequent answers that help us understand the world around us, which can be exciting. At the same time, that discovery leads to constant change, which can lead to frustration. We tend to like clear-cut answers that are black and white. That doesn't always happen in science. That ambiguity then has tendencies to make those outside of the profession question the validity of science, which in turn is frustrating to those who are actively engaged because they feel their work is deemed false.
What will help Manufacturing Scientists increase their earning potential?
Marc Klingshirn Ph.D.: This will obviously depend on the job itself, but if we consider a recent graduate with a bachelor's degree in chemistry, they will most likely be performing routine sample analysis using established protocols and procedures. Relevant data analysis will also most likely be required. Following necessary safety procedures and environmental guidelines will also be essential as some materials may be hazardous and because of relevant environmental regulations and handling needs.
What general advice would you give to a Manufacturing Scientist?
Bonnie Cantrell: Chemistry is the backbone to most protocols for the material, medical, and biological sciences.
Without chemistry, we would not know many of the things we know today. It will always be relevant in
helping change the scientific world as we know it. The advancements in science technology alone makes
chemistry today more exciting than ever. Just with balances from 1980's to now, we went from only
being able to weigh with counter balance weights to having a digital scale read accurately to 0.001
milligrams. Chemistry used to be more theoretical and only explainable from what we could make react
together. Now we have technology that can visualize the chemical composition and structure allowing
for us to create solutions to problems we could only dream of before. Whether you are wanting danger,
to save lives, or to help make this planet a better place to live, being a chemist can help you fuel your
passions.
What will help Manufacturing Scientists increase their earning potential?
Bonnie Cantrell: When a chemist enters the job field, there is three main options for them: academia,
government, or industry. In academia, there are two types of careers: lecturers and researchers. A
lecturer position usually teaches the introductory level classes and one or two advanced level courses. A
majority of their days revolve around creating course content, setting up teaching laboratories,
mentoring students, and grading. Research professors typically teach the upper level courses in their
research specialty, but overall teach less courses than a lecturer to allow time for research. A majority of
a researcher's days include the same tasks as the lecturer, but they also work on writing grants to
continue to fund their research and edit manuscripts for journal publication of their research. Both
positions are also required to participate on committees that create the structure for the school's future
directions. Faculty entering academia all work towards becoming tenured. Those that have made it,
have job security and more confidence in their jobs.
Entry government positions and most of industry for a chemist would be a lot more directly
involved with laboratory work. The laboratory work you do though is almost always dictated by your
employer. This means you don't get to study what you are interested in, but you can focus more on the
chemistry as you don't have to teach and constantly apply for grants. Usually advancement in these
types of careers changes your day to day into more regulation and management responsibilities and less
hands-on involvement with chemicals.
What general advice would you give to a Manufacturing Scientist?
Dr. Kevin Francis: I am a firm believer that if you love your job you will never work a day in your life, so feel this
should not be the primary goal. Many of those I was in school with make triple or even more
than my salary but have expressed dissatisfaction with their jobs. Some have switched jobs
multiple times due to this dissatisfaction. At the same time, if you have invested in your
education and training you should at least make a living wage.
In Chemistry at least a Master's degree is needed for most decent paying jobs. I encourage
students not to fear graduate schools and remain confident. Apply to those offering intership
opportunities or other on the job trainings. Many of our graduate students complete these during
the summer. Many of the internships lead to good jobs in those companies upon graduation.
It is more important to enjoy your job though than to get paid a lot to do it.