Alabama Manufacturing Facts

Manufacturers in Alabama account for 17.18% of the total output in the state, employing 13.00% of the workforce. Total output from manufacturing was $37.98 billion in 2018. In addition, there were an average of 271,000 manufacturing employees in Alabama in 2019, with an average annual compensation of $68,240.38 in 2018.

Manufacturing Output and Firms

Total Manufacturing Output ($billions, 2018)
$37.98
(Percent share of total gross state product)
17.18%
Manufacturing Firms in Alabama (2017)
3,708

Employment and Compensation

Manufacturing Employment (2019)
271,000
(Percent share of nonfarm employment)
13.00%
Average Annual Compensation (Manufacturing, 2018)
$68,240.38
(Nonfarm Businesses, 2018)
$41,597.63

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

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Alabama Export Facts

Manufacturers help to drive Alabama’s economy, with $18.82 billion in manufactured goods exports in 2019. That same year, $7.91 billion in exports was with our free trade agreement (FTA) partners. This helps create jobs in the state, and 25.30% of its employment stemmed from exports in 2011. Small businesses comprised 81.00% percent of all exporters in Alabama.

Manufacturing Exports

Manufactured Goods Exports ($billions, 2019)
$18.82
(Percent share of total goods exports)
90.69%
Growth in Manufactured Goods Exports (2010–2019)
47.04%
U.S. Jobs Supported by Goods Exports (2016)
91,978
Employment from Manufacturing Exports (Export share of manufacturing jobs, 2011)
25.30%
Small Business Share of Total Exporters (2015)
81.00%
Manufactured Goods to Free Trade Agreement Partners ($billions, 2019)
$7.91
(Percent of total exports, 2019)
42.05%
Total Manufactured Goods Exports to Canada and Mexico (USMCA, 2019)
$5.98
Top Five Export Markets (Percent of total manufactured goods exports, 2019)
31.80%
Canada
20.41%
Germany
16.67%
China
11.86%
Mexico
11.39%
Japan
2.85%

Sources: International Trade Administration, U.S. Census Bureau

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Additional Trade Facts

  • The 20 U.S. FTA partners purchased 48.3% ($659.49 billion) of U.S. manufactured goods exports in 2019 – 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.