Engineering, Science and Production

Pittsburgh is a national leader in advanced manufacturing technologies such as additive manufacturing, and while the region is well positioned to take advantage of the benefits, there are also important workforce implications in these trends. The manufacturing workforce of the future may have fewer jobs, but they will be highly skilled and highly paid. While manufacturing output in the region has risen to be close to pre-recession levels, the total number of people employed in engineering and production roles has not moved above 2010 levels. Engineering, Science, and Production occupations employ 118,000 workers, or roughly 10% of the total workforce. Because of their criticality to the manufacturing industry, they have deep importance to the local economy. Looking at projected occupational growth, these occupations will grow more slowly than average, but strong need and opportunities exist for the roles most closely linked to advanced manufacturing, such as machinists, industrial maintenance technicians, and mechanical engineers.

Many of the fastest growing roles in the engineering and production workforce are those which support advanced manufacturing, mechatronics, and the automation of traditional processes. Employers pointed to automation controls and increased robotics expertise as critical future skills for many positions within manufacturing.