Wages vary considerably across manufacturing industries, with pay in durable goods manufacturing mostly outpacing pay in nondurable goods industries sharing features with cannabis: Average and median hourly wages in various production industries (2019$)
| Industry | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage | Annual median wage | Hourly median wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durable manufacturing | ||||
| Computer and electronic product manufacturing | $20.29 | $42,194 | $38,530 | $18.30 |
| Electrical equipment, appliance, and component manufacturing | $19.34 | $40,219 | $38,020 | $18.05 |
| Fabricated metal product manufacturing | $20.41 | $42,441 | $39,910 | $18.95 |
| Machinery manufacturing | $21.00 | $43,685 | $41,640 | $19.77 |
| Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing | $19.90 | $41,394 | $38,620 | $18.34 |
| Primary metal manufacturing | $21.10 | $43,883 | $41,380 | $19.65 |
| Transportation equipment manufacturing | $22.21 | $46,194 | $42,500 | $20.18 |
| Nondurable manufacturing | ||||
| Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing | $21.82 | $45,374 | $41,290 | $19.61 |
| Chemical manufacturing | $23.38 | $48,634 | $43,930 | $20.86 |
| Food manufacturing | $17.11 | $35,586 | $32,980 | $15.66 |
Notes: Annual wages calculated by multiplying corresponding hourly wage by 2,080 hours. Values deflated to 2019$ using the CPI-U for comparability with subsequent figures.
Source: May 2020 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics (BLS-OES 2020).