Your Future in Manufacturing
Discover the manufacturing career that is right for you and learn about what it’s like to work in the manufacturing industry.
Discover a career in manufacturing that is right for you. Explore the videos below to understand the different careers in manufacturing. See how people found their way into those careers.
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Engineering and Technology
Hear how Steven engineered his career in manufacturing, and how you can too.
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Machine Tool
Discover how Dan made a career in manufacturing as a machinist, and whether this is a career fit for you!
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Manufacturing Support
Listen to Altheha talk about her supporting role in manufacturing and the career she loves.
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Mechanical Design
See how Michelle makes it work as a Mechanical Designer.
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Robotics and Automation
Discover what moved Travis towards Robotics and find out if it’s something you’d like to do.
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Welding
See what sparked Casey’s welding career and maybe it will ignite your career.
Which manufacturing career is right for you? Take our career quiz and find out!
Great opportunities
Trained workers in manufacturing have excellent job placement rates. That means you’ll have lots of job opportunities awaiting you.
$59,565 Per year
Average manufacturing salaries are 21% higher than all other industries in Minnesota. That means you can make a living that suits your lifestyle.
Always cutting-edge
Recent manufacturing innovations include 3D printing, next-generation robotics, and the Internet of Things. You could work on the next big thing!
MN = manufacturing
Nearly half of Minnesota’s top companies operate in manufacturing. So you can find work in a variety of industries, from beauty to boats to biotech.
A perfect fit
Minnesota’s manufacturers range in size from dozens to thousands of employees. So it’s easy to find the perfect fit for you.
Green is good
2 out of 3 U.S. businesses report that sustainable manufacturing is critical to being competitive today. That means you can help improve or protect the environment.
High demand
Over the next decade, nearly 3.5 million U.S. manufacturing jobs need to be filled. That’s good news for skilled workers at any stage of their career.
Land of 10,000 jobs
Today there are nearly 10,000 manufacturing positions open in Minnesota. Which one will be right for you?
“After watching the career videos, it definitely made me think that manufacturing is a smart career choice for a lot of people. I used to think that someone in manufacturing would come home exhausted and dirty and it was hard manual labor but now I see that that’s not really the case for a lot of these manufacturers.”
– Dan, Student
Batter Up
MaxBats produces baseball bats that are made with expert skills. Based in Brooten, a small town in the center of Minnesota, MaxBats are used by Kenny Vargas, Fernando Martinez, and many other professional MLB baseball players across the country.
Good Eats
General Mills is a producer of many well-known food brands, including Cheerios, Yoplait, Pillsbury, Häagen-Dazs, Annie’s, Muir Glen, Nature Valley, and Progresso. Based in Golden Valley, General Mills has recently become the third-largest United States maker of natural and organic food.
Ever Eco
Medtronic is a high-tech, innovative developer and producer of multiple health care products. Some of the products include cardiac and vascular, restorative therapies, minimally invasive therapies, and diabetes. Recognized as one of the world’s leading companies for sustainability, Fridley-based Medtronic works in many countries around the world.
About Face
Aveda is a producer of beauty products. They are the first company to endorse the Valdex/Ceres principles of environmental sustainability in 1989. The first U.S. beauty product company of its kind, Blaine-based Aveda pursues sustainable manufacturing by using 100% post-consumer PET, combining post-consumer recycled material with bioplastics, and manufacturing with 100% wind power in its primary facility.
Fresh Ideas
LaValley Industries got its start from a humble napkin sketch to become an innovative manufacturer of pipeline handling systems. Based in Bemidji, LaValley Industries helps customers get their arms around solutions designed and built by its team of engineers.
Going Green
Toro is a leading worldwide provider of innovative turf, landscape, rental, and construction equipment. They also produce irrigation and outdoor lighting solutions. Based in Bloomington, Toro helps customers care for golf courses, sports fields, public green places, commercial and residential properties, and agricultural fields. Its Tomah, Wisconsin, manufacturing plant is certified as a facility that fully considers the environmental impact of its practices.