Kentucky manufacturing
Private-sector manufacturing (NAICS 31–33), annual average for 2023. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.
Year
01Core measures
Kentucky manufacturing in 2023
Totals and averages for all private manufacturing employers in Kentucky combined. They describe the industry statewide, not any individual plant or company.
Establishments
6,699
Worksites, annual average of quarterly counts
- U.S.
- 392,201
- Share of U.S.Calc
- 1.7%
Employment
256,513
Jobs, annual average of monthly counts
- U.S.
- 12,868,061
- Share of U.S.Calc
- 2%
Total wages
$18.2 billion
Nominal dollars, sum of four quarters
- U.S.
- $1.1 trillion
- Share of U.S.Calc
- 1.7%
Average weekly wage
$1,368
Nominal dollars per job
- U.S.
- $1,588
- vs. U.S.Calc
- −13.9%
Average annual pay
$71,119
Nominal dollars per job
- U.S.
- $82,575
- vs. U.S.Calc
- −13.9%
Location quotient
1.55
Employment concentration vs. U.S.
- U.S.
- 1.00
Manufacturing's share of all jobs in Kentucky is 1.55 times its share of all U.S. jobs.
Calcmarks our calculations from BLS figures (formulas below). All other values are published by BLS.
02Subsectors
Where manufacturing jobs are
The 21 three-digit NAICS manufacturing subsectors, largest employment first.
- 336Transportation equipment manufacturing
- Employment
- 66,318
- Establishments
- 434
- Avg. annual pay
- $73,428
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- −17.1%
- Location quotient
- 2.92
- 311Food manufacturing
- Employment
- 30,497
- Establishments
- 516
- Avg. annual pay
- $63,651
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- +7.3%
- Location quotient
- 1.37
- 332Fabricated metal product manufacturing
- Employment
- 22,740
- Establishments
- 869
- Avg. annual pay
- $67,482
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- −3.7%
- Location quotient
- 1.23
- 333Machinery manufacturing
- Employment
- 20,070
- Establishments
- 675
- Avg. annual pay
- $70,766
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- −15.8%
- Location quotient
- 1.39
- 326Plastics and rubber products manufacturing
- Employment
- 16,374
- Establishments
- 282
- Avg. annual pay
- $62,537
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- −6.1%
- Location quotient
- 1.74
- 331Primary metal manufacturing
- Employment
- 13,644
- Establishments
- 168
- Avg. annual pay
- $90,009
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- +4.4%
- Location quotient
- 2.85
- 325Chemical manufacturing
- Employment
- 12,612
- Establishments
- 558
- Avg. annual pay
- $92,032
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- −18.4%
- Location quotient
- 1.10
- 335Electrical equipment, appliance, and component manufacturing
- Employment
- 12,320
- Establishments
- 197
- Avg. annual pay
- $73,745
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- −9.0%
- Location quotient
- 2.32
- 312Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing
- Employment
- 11,135
- Establishments
- 273
- Avg. annual pay
- $79,504
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- +35.5%
- Location quotient
- 2.58
- 321Wood product manufacturing
- Employment
- 10,537
- Establishments
- 432
- Avg. annual pay
- $47,691
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- −21.2%
- Location quotient
- 1.96
- 322Paper manufacturing
- Employment
- 9,611
- Establishments
- 135
- Avg. annual pay
- $75,705
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- −3.8%
- Location quotient
- 2.09
- 327Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing
- Employment
- 7,242
- Establishments
- 325
- Avg. annual pay
- $68,689
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- −5.5%
- Location quotient
- 1.35
- 339Miscellaneous manufacturing
- Employment
- 5,968
- Establishments
- 600
- Avg. annual pay
- $60,112
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- −22.7%
- Location quotient
- 0.75
- 323Printing and related support activities
- Employment
- 5,593
- Establishments
- 394
- Avg. annual pay
- $52,904
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- −10.1%
- Location quotient
- 1.18
- 337Furniture and related product manufacturing
- Employment
- 4,161
- Establishments
- 224
- Avg. annual pay
- $49,845
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- −11.3%
- Location quotient
- 0.91
- 334Computer and electronic product manufacturing
- Employment
- 3,625
- Establishments
- 348
- Avg. annual pay
- $104,127
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- −31.8%
- Location quotient
- 0.26
- 314Textile product mills
- Employment
- 1,288
- Establishments
- 84
- Avg. annual pay
- $45,515
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- −12.1%
- Location quotient
- 1.00
- 324Petroleum and coal products manufacturing
- Employment
- 1,152
- Establishments
- 73
- Avg. annual pay
- $139,118
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- +1.0%
- Location quotient
- 0.83
- 315Apparel manufacturing
- Employment
- 1,112
- Establishments
- 67
- Avg. annual pay
- $47,715
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- −14.4%
- Location quotient
- 0.98
- 313Textile mills
- Employment
- 402
- Establishments
- 30
- Avg. annual pay
- $67,172
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- +18.1%
- Location quotient
- 0.35
- 316Leather and allied product manufacturing
- Employment
- 112
- Establishments
- 15
- Avg. annual pay
- $42,644
- Pay vs. U.S.Calc
- −25.6%
- Location quotient
- 0.33
| NAICS | Subsector | Establishments | Employment | Avg. annual pay | Pay vs. U.S.Calc | LQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 336 | Transportation equipment manufacturing | 434 | 66,318 | $73,428 | −17.1% | 2.92 |
| 311 | Food manufacturing | 516 | 30,497 | $63,651 | +7.3% | 1.37 |
| 332 | Fabricated metal product manufacturing | 869 | 22,740 | $67,482 | −3.7% | 1.23 |
| 333 | Machinery manufacturing | 675 | 20,070 | $70,766 | −15.8% | 1.39 |
| 326 | Plastics and rubber products manufacturing | 282 | 16,374 | $62,537 | −6.1% | 1.74 |
| 331 | Primary metal manufacturing | 168 | 13,644 | $90,009 | +4.4% | 2.85 |
| 325 | Chemical manufacturing | 558 | 12,612 | $92,032 | −18.4% | 1.10 |
| 335 | Electrical equipment, appliance, and component manufacturing | 197 | 12,320 | $73,745 | −9.0% | 2.32 |
| 312 | Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing | 273 | 11,135 | $79,504 | +35.5% | 2.58 |
| 321 | Wood product manufacturing | 432 | 10,537 | $47,691 | −21.2% | 1.96 |
| 322 | Paper manufacturing | 135 | 9,611 | $75,705 | −3.8% | 2.09 |
| 327 | Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing | 325 | 7,242 | $68,689 | −5.5% | 1.35 |
| 339 | Miscellaneous manufacturing | 600 | 5,968 | $60,112 | −22.7% | 0.75 |
| 323 | Printing and related support activities | 394 | 5,593 | $52,904 | −10.1% | 1.18 |
| 337 | Furniture and related product manufacturing | 224 | 4,161 | $49,845 | −11.3% | 0.91 |
| 334 | Computer and electronic product manufacturing | 348 | 3,625 | $104,127 | −31.8% | 0.26 |
| 314 | Textile product mills | 84 | 1,288 | $45,515 | −12.1% | 1.00 |
| 324 | Petroleum and coal products manufacturing | 73 | 1,152 | $139,118 | +1.0% | 0.83 |
| 315 | Apparel manufacturing | 67 | 1,112 | $47,715 | −14.4% | 0.98 |
| 313 | Textile mills | 30 | 402 | $67,172 | +18.1% | 0.35 |
| 316 | Leather and allied product manufacturing | 15 | 112 | $42,644 | −25.6% | 0.33 |
03By year
Kentucky manufacturing, 2022–2025
Wages are in nominal dollars (not adjusted for inflation). BLS cautions that QCEW is not designed as a time series, so treat year-to-year differences as indicative.
| Year | Establishments | Employment | Avg. annual pay | U.S. avg. annual pay | vs. U.S.Calc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 6,122 | 251,782 | $68,223 | $79,483 | −14.2% |
| 2023 | 6,699 | 256,513 | $71,119 | $82,575 | −13.9% |
| 2024 | 7,146 | 257,659 | $75,166 | $85,461 | −12.0% |
| 2025 | 7,460 | 252,133 | $78,482 | $89,471 | −12.3% |
04About this data
Source, definitions, and limits
- Source
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
- File
- data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/31_33.csv
- Retrieved
- October 12, 2026 (UTC)
- Period
- Annual average, 2023 (final BLS data)
- Industry
- NAICS 2022, sector 31–33 and its three-digit subsectors
- Ownership
- Private employers only
- Geography
- Statewide; compared with the U.S. total
- Citation
- Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW).
What these numbers cover
- Jobs reported to state unemployment insurance programs, about 95% of U.S. wage and salary jobs. Self-employed workers and proprietors are excluded; people with two jobs may be counted twice.
- Averages describe all employers combined and do not represent any single manufacturer. Where a subsector has few establishments or jobs, its averages can swing widely and are less representative.
- Not disclosed: BLS withheld the value to protect employer confidentiality. It is never shown as zero. No BLS data: BLS publishes no figures for that combination.
Calculations
- Share of U.S. = state value ÷ U.S. value.
- vs. U.S. = state value ÷ U.S. value − 1.
- Both inputs come from the same BLS file: same year, industry, and ownership. Not calculated when either value is withheld (shown as —).
- Location quotient is published by BLS: the industry's share of all local jobs (all industries and ownerships) divided by its share nationally.