Sporting Goods Production Workers
Overview
Introduction
Sporting goods production workers are involved in manufacturing, assembling, and finishing sporting goods equipment such as golf clubs, fishing tackle, basketballs, footballs, skis, and baseball equipment. Their tasks range from operating machines to fine handcrafting of equipment.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the median hourly wages of cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, ranged from $11.98 to $25.73 in May 2019 ($24,920 to $53,520 annually for full-time work). Team assemblers had earnings than ranged from $10.78 an hour to $24.73 or more per hour ($22,420 to $51,430 annually for full-time work). Wages are...
Work Environment
Conditions in plants vary, with some factories having modern, well-equipped, well-lit work stations for employees. Other plants provide less comfortable working conditions. In some jobs, employees have to sit or stand in one place for the entire work shift, while other jobs require heavy lifting, hammering, or other physically strenuous activities. People who operate presses, molds, and other h...
Outlook
As sports and fitness become more popular among health-conscious Americans, the market for sporting goods is expected to continue to grow. Exports of American-made goods may also increase in coming years. This does not mean, however, that the number of jobs in sporting goods manufacturing will also increase.
The manufacture of many kinds of sports gear is very labor-intensive, and to kee...