Manufacturing Output and Firms
Total Manufacturing Output ($billions, 2018)
$316.76
(Percent share of total gross state product)
10.67%
Manufacturing Firms in California (2016)
35,680
California Manufacturing Facts
Manufacturers in California account for 10.67% of the total output in the state, employing 7.72% of the workforce. Total output from manufacturing was $316.76 billion in 2018. In addition, there were an average of 1,326,000 manufacturing employees in California in 2018, with an average annual compensation of $105,240.80 in 2017.
Employment and Compensation
Manufacturing Employment (2018)
1,326,000
(Percent share of nonfarm employment)
7.72%
Average Annual Compensation (Manufacturing, 2017)
$105,240.80
(Nonfarm Businesses, 2017)
$57,050.64
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau
Figure 1
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Figure 3
California Export Facts
Manufacturers help to drive California’s economy, with $154.44 billion in manufactured goods exports in 2018. That same year, $66.72 billion in exports was with our free trade agreement (FTA) partners. This helps create jobs in the state, and 25.20% of its employment stemmed from exports in 2011. Small businesses comprised 96.00% percent of all exporters in California.
Manufacturing Exports
Manufactured Goods Exports ($billions, 2018)
$154.44
(Percent share of total goods exports)
86.57%
Growth in Manufactured Goods Exports (2010–2018)
23.79%
U.S. Jobs Supported by Goods Exports (2016)
632,370
Employment from Manufacturing Exports (Export share of manufacturing jobs, 2011)
25.20%
Small Business Share of Total Exporters (2015)
96.00%
Manufactured Goods to Free Trade Agreement Partners ($billions, 2018)
$66.72
(Percent of total exports, 2018)
37.40%
Total Manufactured Goods Exports to Canada and Mexico (NAFTA, 2018)
$44.48
Top Five Export Markets (Percent of total manufactured goods exports, 2018)
28.80%
Mexico
19.09%
Canada
9.71%
China
8.81%
Japan
7.46%
Hong Kong
5.49%
Sources: International Trade Administration, U.S. Census Bureau
Figure 4
Additional Trade Facts
- The 20 U.S. FTA partners purchased nearly 49 percent ($679.46 billion) of U.S. manufactured goods exports in 2018 – even though these countries represent only six percent of the world’s population and 10 percent of GDP.
- FTA countries: Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, Peru, Singapore and South Korea.