Digital manufacturing engineer; robotics engineer; augmented reality/virtual reality developer; and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) architect are among the cutting-edge titles on a list of top jobs.
ManpowerGroup Vice President of Manufacturing Solutions Rebekah Kowalski provided the snapshot of the types of high-tech jobs being created by the digital manufacturing push.
As she did last year, Kowalski spoke with MxD about innovations Manpower sees in the manufacturing workforce, including the rise of skilled technical roles, also known as “new collar” jobs.
“This year there‘s definitely more emphasis on engineering and skilled technical roles,” Kowalski said.
Information technology (IT) jobs are also coming into their own in manufacturing, she said, noting that the demand for digital twin developers gets bigger each year and the need for IIoT architects is also a noteworthy trend.
The list overall, Kowalski said, reflects manufacturers’ adoption of digital technologies; the growth of connected devices on the factory floor; and the need to make sense of “all the data that’s coming through.”
That includes data about the supply chain, with supply chain analyst arriving on the 2023 list for the first time.
Cybersecurity jobs, meanwhile, make a repeat appearance among the most in-demand roles.
“Manufacturing is the No. 1 most-attacked sector,” Kowalski said. “All of those beautiful sensors and controls that give you the ability to be predictive and productive create points of vulnerability” for cybercriminals to exploit.
On the upside, these “new collar” manufacturing roles provide family-supporting wages, she said. One example: Engineering technicians who work in manufacturing can earn up to $100,000 annually.
Such strong wages link back to manufacturing’s ongoing skills gap, which is estimated to leave as many as 2.1 million jobs unfilled by 2030.
To fill that gap, MxD is working to build a manufacturing workforce of the future. Earlier this year, MxD launched the Curriculum and Pathways Integrating Technology and Learning (CAPITAL) skill development program.
Here are the Top Jobs for 2023:
- Digital Manufacturing Engineer
- Additive Manufacturing Specialist
- Robotics Engineer
- Industrial Automation Engineer
- CNC Programmer
- Data Scientist
- Machine Learning Engineer
- Quality Assurance Manager
- Operations Manager
- Supply Chain Analyst
- Manufacturing Systems Analyst
- Digital Twin Developer
- Simulation Engineer
- Process Engineer
- Cybersecurity Analyst (specializing in manufacturing)
- Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality Developer
- Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Architect
- Production Planner
- Materials Engineer
- CAD/CAM Designer
- Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Specialist
- Maintenance Technician (specializing in automated systems)
- Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Designer
See how the list compares to 2022 by reading the related article, 22 for 22: The Most In-Demand Digital Manufacturing Jobs Right Now.
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