United States Manufacturing Facts

Manufacturers in the United States account for 11.39% of the total output in the economy, employing 8.51% of the workforce. Total output from manufacturing was $2,334.60 billion in 2018. In addition, there were an average of 12.8 million manufacturing employees in the United States in 2018, with an average annual compensation of $84,832.13 in 2017.

Manufacturing Output and Firms

Total Manufacturing Output ($billions, 2018)
$2,334.60
(Percent share of total gross domestic product)
11.39%
Manufacturing Firms in the United States (2016)
249,962

Employment and Compensation

Manufacturing Employment (2018)
12.69
(Percent share of nonfarm employment)
8.51%
Average Annual Compensation (Manufacturing, 2017)
$84,832.13
(Nonfarm Businesses, 2017)
$66,538.49

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

United States Export Facts

Manufacturers help to drive the United States economy, with $1,397.03 billion in manufactured goods exports in 2018. That same year, $679.46 billion in exports was with our free trade agreement (FTA) partners. Small businesses comprised 96.60% percent of all exporters in the United States.

Manufacturing Exports

Manufactured Goods Exports ($billions, 2018)
$1,397.03
(Percent share of total goods exports)
83.95%
Growth in Manufactured Goods Exports (2010–2018)
26.85%
Small Business Share of Total Exporters (2015)
96.60%
Manufactured Goods to Free Trade Agreement Partners ($billions, 2018)
$679.46
(Percent of total exports, 2018)
48.64%
Total Manufactured Goods Exports to Canada and Mexico (NAFTA, 2018)
$500.30
Top Five Export Markets (Percent of total manufactured goods exports, 2018)
35.81%
Canada
18.68%
Mexico
17.14%
China
7.03%
Japan
4.04%
United Kingdom
3.78%

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.