Automotive Industry Workers
Overview
Introduction
Automotive industry workers are the people who work in the parts production and assembly plants of automobile manufacturers. Their labor involves work from the smallest part to the completed automobiles. Automotive industry workers read specifications, design parts, build, maintain, and operate machinery and tools used to produce parts, and assemble the automobiles. In June 2024, nearly 1.1 million people were employed in motor vehicles and parts manufacturing, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Salaries vary widely for automotive industry workers depending on their job and how long theyve been with the company.
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that automotive industry workers earned the following average hourly earnings (by sector) in May 2024:
- motor vehicles manufacturing: $37.26 ($77,501 annually)
- motor vehicle parts manufacturing: $27.73 ($57,678 an...
Work Environment
Working as a production worker in an automotive plant can be stressful, depending on the workers personality, job duties, and management expectations. Assembly line workers have little control over the speed at which they must complete their work. They can generally take breaks only when scheduled. Plants can also be very noisy. Automotive production workers must follow several safety precautio...
Outlook
Employment in the manufacturing sector is forecast to decline by 0.9 percent from 2022 through 2032, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. (The average growth for all sectors is 3 percent through 2032.) Advancements in robotics, automation, artificial intelligence, and manufacturing processes and tools are expected to have a negative impact on job growth.
Nevertheless, there should ...