Parents Lack Full Understanding of Manufacturing Opportunities

Most parents of school-age children say they consider manufacturing jobs financially and professionally rewarding, but few of them think the work is innovative or intellectually stimulating.

IndustryWeek reported recently on findings from Alcoa Foundation’s survey on parents’ perceptions of manufacturing.

Among the more than 1,000 parents polled, 89% thought that manufacturing jobs paid between $7 and $22 an hour.

That is significantly lower than the $34 an hour wage reported by the Manufacturing Institute, although the institute figure includes benefits, and the survey question did not mention benefits.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the average annual salary for an entry-level manufacturing engineer is $60,000.

The survey also found:

77% of parents would encourage their children to pursue manufacturing careers

86% consider manufacturing jobs financially and professionally rewarding

33% of parents associate manufacturing jobs with opportunities for professional advancement

22% see the work as innovative and intellectually stimulating.  S