Careers in Manufacturing

Overview

Planning, managing and performing the processing of materials into intermediate or final products and related professional and technical support activities such as production planning and control, maintenance and manufacturing, and process engineering.

Pathways

• Maintenance, Installation & Repair
• Manufacturing Production Process Development
• Production
• Quality Assurance

Video

Watch Cluster Video

• Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators & Tenders
  
• Aerospace Engineering & Operations Technologists & Technicians
  
  
• Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, & Systems Assemblers
  
• Audiovisual Equipment Installers & Repairers
  
• Automotive Engineering Technicians
  
• Biofuels Processing Technicians
  
• Biomass Plant Technicians
  
• Butchers & Meat Cutters
  
• Cabinetmakers & Bench Carpenters
  
• Calibration Technologists & Technicians
  
  
• Camera & Photographic Equipment Repairers
  
• Chemical Equipment Operators & Tenders
  
• Chemical Plant & System Operators
  
• Chemical Technicians
  
  
• Cleaning, Washing, & Metal Pickling Equipment Operators & Tenders
  
• Coating, Painting, & Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders
  
• Coil Winders, Tapers, & Finishers
  
• Coin, Vending, & Amusement Machine Servicers & Repairers
  
• Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators
  
• Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers
  
  
• Computer, Automated Teller, & Office Machine Repairers
  
• Cooling & Freezing Equipment Operators & Tenders
  
  
• Crushing, Grinding, & Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders
  
• Cutters & Trimmers, Hand
  
• Cutting & Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders
  
• Cutting, Punching, & Press Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic
  
• Dental Laboratory Technicians
  
• Drilling & Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic
  
• Electric Motor, Power Tool, & Related Repairers
  
• Electrical & Electronic Engineering Technologists & Technicians
  
• Electrical & Electronic Equipment Assemblers
  
  
• Electrical & Electronics Drafters
  
• Electrical & Electronics Repairers, Commercial & Industrial Equipment
  
• Electrical & Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, & Relay
  
• Electro-Mechanical & Mechatronics Technologists & Technicians
  
• Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers
  
  
• Engine & Other Machine Assemblers
  
• Etchers & Engravers
  
• Extruding & Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic
  
• Extruding & Forming Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Synthetic & Glass Fibers
  
• Extruding, Forming, Pressing, & Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders
  
• Fabric & Apparel Patternmakers
  
• Fiberglass Laminators & Fabricators
  
• First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, & Repairers
  
• First-Line Supervisors of Production & Operating Workers
  
• Food & Tobacco Roasting, Baking, & Drying Machine Operators & Tenders
  
• Food Batchmakers
  
  
• Food Cooking Machine Operators & Tenders
  
• Forging Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic
  
• Foundry Mold & Coremakers
  
• Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, & Kettle Operators & Tenders
  
• Furniture Finishers
  
• Gas Plant Operators
  
• Gem & Diamond Workers
  
• Geothermal Technicians
  
• Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, & Finishers
  
• Grinding & Polishing Workers, Hand
  
• Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, & Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic
  
• Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic
  
• Helpers--Production Workers
  
• Home Appliance Repairers
  
• Hydroelectric Plant Technicians
  
• Industrial Engineering Technologists & Technicians
  
• Industrial Machinery Mechanics
  
  
• Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, & Weighers
  
• Jewelers & Precious Stone & Metal Workers
  
• Lathe & Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic
  
• Layout Workers, Metal & Plastic
  
• Locksmiths & Safe Repairers
  
• Machine Feeders & Offbearers
  
• Machinists
  
• Maintenance & Repair Workers, General
  
  
• Maintenance Workers, Machinery
  
  
• Meat, Poultry, & Fish Cutters & Trimmers
  
• Mechanical Drafters
  
• Mechanical Engineering Technologists & Technicians
  
• Medical Appliance Technicians
  
• Medical Equipment Repairers
  
  
• Metal-Refining Furnace Operators & Tenders
  
• Milling & Planing Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic
  
• Mixing & Blending Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders
  
• Model Makers, Metal & Plastic
  
• Model Makers, Wood
  
• Molders, Shapers, & Casters
  
• Molding, Coremaking, & Casting Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic
  
• Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic
  
• Musical Instrument Repairers & Tuners
  
• Nanotechnology Engineering Technologists & Technicians
  
• Non-Destructive Testing Specialists
  
• Nuclear Monitoring Technicians
  
• Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
  
• Nuclear Technicians
  
• Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
  
• Outdoor Power Equipment & Other Small Engine Mechanics
  
• Packaging & Filling Machine Operators & Tenders
  
  
• Painting, Coating, & Decorating Workers
  
• Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders
  
• Patternmakers, Metal & Plastic
  
• Patternmakers, Wood
  
• Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, & Gaugers
  
• Photographic Process Workers & Processing Machine Operators
  
• Photonics Technicians
  
• Plating Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic
  
• Potters, Manufacturing
  
• Pourers & Casters, Metal
  
• Power Distributors & Dispatchers
  
• Power Plant Operators
  
• Production, Planning, & Expediting Clerks
  
• Purchasing Agents
  
  
• Radio, Cellular, & Tower Equipment Installers & Repairers
  
  
• Recycling & Reclamation Workers
  
  
• Robotics Technicians
  
• Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic
  
• Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Wood
  
• Security & Fire Alarm Systems Installers
  
  
• Semiconductor Processing Technicians
  
  
• Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, & Still Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders
  
• Sewers, Hand
  
• Sewing Machine Operators
  
• Shoe & Leather Workers & Repairers
  
• Shoe Machine Operators & Tenders
  
• Slaughterers & Meat Packers
  
• Stone Cutters & Carvers, Manufacturing
  
• Team Assemblers
  
• Textile Bleaching & Dyeing Machine Operators & Tenders
  
• Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders
  
• Textile Knitting & Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders
  
• Textile Winding, Twisting, & Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders
  
• Timing Device Assemblers & Adjusters
  
• Tire Builders
  
• Tool & Die Makers
  
• Tool Grinders, Filers, & Sharpeners
  
• Upholsterers
  
• Watch & Clock Repairers
  
• Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, & Samplers, Recordkeeping
  
• Welders, Cutters, Solderers, & Brazers
  
• Welding, Soldering, & Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders
  
• Wind Turbine Service Technicians
  
  
• Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders
  

Source: National Career Clusters® Framework external site implemented by Department of Defense ASVAB Career Exploration Program (updated 2016). Video produced by CareerOneStop external site.