Provided photo Minnesota added almost 15,000 manufacturing jobs over the past year, and many more are projected to open in the next year.

ST. PAUL — Gov. Tim Walz has proclaimed October as Manufacturing Month in Minnesota, in recognition of the critical importance of manufacturing to the state’s economy and to highlight the many career opportunities in this vital industry.

Manufacturing accounted for $56 billion (or 14%) of the state’s gross domestic product and provided more than 310,000 jobs (or 11.3%) of statewide employment in 2021. Workers took home $23.4 billion in wages from Minnesota manufacturing jobs in 2021, the second-largest total payroll among private sector industries. Average annual wages for workers in manufacturing are $74,630, which is 10% higher than across all industries in Minnesota.

“Manufacturing jobs pay well and many offer opportunities for advancement on a promising career path,” said Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Steve Grove. “Manufacturers throughout Minnesota have open positions – ranging from entry level to highly skilled and everything in between. At DEED, we’re focused on highlighting manufacturing employment opportunities to those looking for work and helping connect them with employers currently hiring.”

Minnesota added almost 15,000 manufacturing jobs over the year from August 2021 to August 2022, and many more employment opportunities in the sector are projected to open in the coming years. In fact, Minnesota is expected to see more than 75,000 job openings for manufacturing production positions alone through 2030.

Minnesota has more than 8,000 manufacturers making a wide range of products. Most manufacturing jobs in the state are concentrated in these areas: food manufacturing, computer and electronic products, fabricated metal products, machinery, medical devices and miscellaneous products, printing, plastics and rubber products, and chemical products.

Many manufacturing jobs can be started with a high school diploma and employer-provided on-the-job training. People interested in exploring a career in manufacturing can find information on October’s Tour of Manufacturing events, manufacturing hiring events, fact sheets about working in manufacturing, regional labor market information focused on manufacturing, the Governor’s proclamation and many other resources at CareerForceMN.com/Manufacturing.