Manufacturing Output and Firms
Total Manufacturing Output ($billions, 2018)
$25.15
(Percent share of total gross state product)
6.82%
Manufacturing Firms in Colorado (2017)
4,871
Colorado Manufacturing Facts
Manufacturers in Colorado account for 6.82% of the total output in the state, employing 5.38% of the workforce. Total output from manufacturing was $25.15 billion in 2018. In addition, there were an average of 149,000 manufacturing employees in Colorado in 2019, with an average annual compensation of $79,051.09 in 2018.
Employment and Compensation
Manufacturing Employment (2019)
149,000
(Percent share of nonfarm employment)
5.38%
Average Annual Compensation (Manufacturing, 2018)
$79,051.09
(Nonfarm Businesses, 2018)
$50,286.14
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Colorado Export Facts
Manufacturers help to drive Colorado’s economy, with $7.58 billion in manufactured goods exports in 2019. That same year, $3.39 billion in exports was with our free trade agreement (FTA) partners. This helps create jobs in the state, and 24.00% of its employment stemmed from exports in 2011. Small businesses comprised 87.00% percent of all exporters in Colorado.
Manufacturing Exports
Manufactured Goods Exports ($billions, 2019)
$7.58
(Percent share of total goods exports)
93.60%
Growth in Manufactured Goods Exports (2010–2019)
24.87%
U.S. Jobs Supported by Goods Exports (2016)
35,858
Employment from Manufacturing Exports (Export share of manufacturing jobs, 2011)
24.00%
Small Business Share of Total Exporters (2015)
87.00%
Manufactured Goods to Free Trade Agreement Partners ($billions, 2019)
$3.39
(Percent of total exports, 2019)
44.73%
Total Manufactured Goods Exports to Canada and Mexico (USMCA, 2019)
$2.40
Top Five Export Markets (Percent of total manufactured goods exports, 2019)
31.70%
Canada
18.29%
Mexico
13.41%
South Korea
6.95%
China
6.57%
Malaysia
5.88%
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.