Iowa Manufacturing Facts

Manufacturers in Iowa account for 18.79% of the total output in the state, employing 14.35% of the workforce. Total output from manufacturing was $35.74 billion in 2018. In addition, there were an average of 228,000 manufacturing employees in Iowa in 2019, with an average annual compensation of $72,960.09 in 2018.

Manufacturing Output and Firms

Total Manufacturing Output ($billions, 2018)
$35.74
(Percent share of total gross state product)
18.79%
Manufacturing Firms in Iowa (2017)
2,964

Employment and Compensation

Manufacturing Employment (2019)
228,000
(Percent share of nonfarm employment)
14.35%
Average Annual Compensation (Manufacturing, 2018)
$72,960.09
(Nonfarm Businesses, 2018)
$44,652.21

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

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Iowa Export Facts

Manufacturers help to drive Iowa’s economy, with $11.71 billion in manufactured goods exports in 2019. That same year, $6.36 billion in exports was with our free trade agreement (FTA) partners. This helps create jobs in the state, and 24.50% of its employment stemmed from exports in 2011. Small businesses comprised 83.00% percent of all exporters in Iowa.

Manufacturing Exports

Manufactured Goods Exports ($billions, 2019)
$11.71
(Percent share of total goods exports)
88.77%
Growth in Manufactured Goods Exports (2010–2019)
22.06%
U.S. Jobs Supported by Goods Exports (2016)
58,558
Employment from Manufacturing Exports (Export share of manufacturing jobs, 2011)
24.50%
Small Business Share of Total Exporters (2015)
83.00%
Manufactured Goods to Free Trade Agreement Partners ($billions, 2019)
$6.36
(Percent of total exports, 2019)
54.31%
Total Manufactured Goods Exports to Canada and Mexico (USMCA, 2019)
$5.12
Top Five Export Markets (Percent of total manufactured goods exports, 2019)
43.74%
Canada
31.71%
Mexico
12.03%
Japan
7.27%
China
5.90%
Brazil
4.56%

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.