California Manufacturing Facts

Manufacturers in California account for 10.67% of the total output in the state, employing 7.66% of the workforce. Total output from manufacturing was $316.76 billion in 2018. In addition, there were an average of 1,338,000 manufacturing employees in California in 2019, with an average annual compensation of $109,875.79 in 2018.

Manufacturing Output and Firms

Total Manufacturing Output ($billions, 2018)
$316.76
(Percent share of total gross state product)
10.67%
Manufacturing Firms in California (2017)
35,321

Employment and Compensation

Manufacturing Employment (2019)
1,338,000
(Percent share of nonfarm employment)
7.66%
Average Annual Compensation (Manufacturing, 2018)
$109,875.79
(Nonfarm Businesses, 2018)
$59,149.35

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

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3


California Export Facts

Manufacturers help to drive California’s economy, with $149.56 billion in manufactured goods exports in 2019. That same year, $61.85 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, 2019)
$149.56
(Percent share of total goods exports)
86.29%
Growth in Manufactured Goods Exports (2010–2019)
19.87%
U.S. Jobs Supported by Goods Exports (2016)
632,370
Employment from Manufacturing Exports (Export share of manufacturing jobs, 2011)
25.20%
Small Business Share of Total Exporters (2015)
96.00%
Manufactured Goods to Free Trade Agreement Partners ($billions, 2019)
$61.85
(Percent of total exports, 2019)
41.36%
Total Manufactured Goods Exports to Canada and Mexico (USMCA, 2019)
$40.40
Top Five Export Markets (Percent of total manufactured goods exports, 2019)
27.01%
Mexico
17.78%
Canada
9.24%
China
9.12%
Japan
6.95%
South Korea
5.14%

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

Figure 4

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.