In recognition of Manufacturing Month, this article uses data from the Common Follow-up System (CFS) to examine which North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) programs are most closely associated with employment in the Manufacturing sector1. The analysis follows three cohorts of NCCCS graduates (2003, 2013, and 2023) to identify the certificate and associate degree programs with the highest shares of graduates working in the Manufacturing sector.
Manufacturing Employment Rates Declined Over Time
Across all NCCCS graduates, the share employed in the Manufacturing sector two years after completion declined between the 2003 and 2023 cohorts. Among associate degree graduates, the rate fell from 8 percent to 5 percent. For certificate completers, the decline was smaller, from 11 percent to 10 percent. Over the same period, employment in the Manufacturing sector as a share of total employment in North Carolina fell from 16 percent to 10 percent.
The Programs Most Associated with Manufacturing Changed
For each cohort, the five certificate and associate degree programs with the highest rates of employment in the Manufacturing sector two years after completion are highlighted in Tables 1-3. Only programs with at least 40 graduates were included.
The leading programs changed over the 20-year period, although a few appeared repeatedly. Computer-Integrated Machining and Industrial Systems Technology were among the programs with the highest Manufacturing employment rates in all three cohorts. Mechanical Engineering Technology also appeared among the leading programs in each cohort at one credential level (associate degree in 2003 and 2013, certificate in 2023).
2003 Cohort: Machining Led Manufacturing Employment
For the 2003 cohort, Computer-Integrated Machining had the highest rate of employment in the Manufacturing sector two years after graduation at 70 percent. Among certificate completers, Industrial Systems Technology had the highest rate at 54 percent.
Across these programs, the share employed in Manufacturing generally declined over time. Computer-Integrated Machining associate degree graduates, for example, went from 70 percent in year two to 37 percent in year 20. Among certificate completers in the same program, the rate declined from 44 percent to 33 percent. The data do not indicate why manufacturing employment rates declined over time.
There is no consistent pattern in employment in Manufacturing by credential level, although associate degree graduates generally earned more than certificate completers in the same field, particularly over time. Twenty years after graduation, associate degree graduates in Computer-Integrated Machining earned an average of $93,965, compared to $62,613 for certificate completers. Similarly, average annual wages for Industrial Systems Technology were $96,989 for associate degree graduates and $71,489 for certificate completers.
Table 1
Average Wages2 and Employment Rates in the Manufacturing Sector, 2003 Cohort
Year 2 | Year 10 | Year 20 | |||||
| Associate Degree | Graduates | Emp. Rate | Average Annual Wage | Emp. Rate | Average Annual Wage | Emp. Rate | Average Annual Wage |
| Computer-Integrated Machining | 43 | 70% | $56,211 | 56% | $72,846 | 37% | $93,965 |
| Electronics Engineering Technology | 183 | 36% | $55,715 | 31% | $77,969 | 27% | $93,161 |
| General Occupational Technology | 92 | 18% | $63,099 | 16% | $74,688 | 12% | $84,164 |
| Industrial Systems Technology | 48 | 44% | $66,661 | 42% | $79,765 | 31% | $96,989 |
| Mechanical Engineering Technology | 53 | 42% | $48,156 | 34% | $84,975 | 23% | $82,117 |
| All Associate Degrees | 10,692 | 8% | $42,448 | 6% | $62,792 | 5% | $71,504 |
| Certificate |
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| Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Technology | 214 | 23% | $55,420 | 19% | $70,799 | 16% | $67,536 |
| Computer-Integrated Machining | 45 | 44% | $45,554 | 40% | $63,526 | 33% | $62,613 |
| Industrial Systems Technology | 57 | 54% | $63,090 | 44% | $75,600 | 30% | $71,489 |
| Telecommunications Installation and Maintenance | 48 | 23% | $33,528 | 10% | $43,294 | * | * |
| Welding Technology | 142 | 36% | $39,321 | 23% | $52,848 | 20% | $51,678 |
| All Certificates | 6,188 | 11% | $39,433 | 8% | $50,703 | 8% | $53,392 |
* Data is suppressed
2013 Cohort: Welding Became More Prominent
The programs most closely associated with Manufacturing shifted by 2013. At the associate degree level, Welding Technology joined Computer-Integrated Machining, Electronics Engineering Technology, Industrial Systems Technology, and Mechanical Engineering Technology among the leading programs. Several appeared in the top five at both credential levels, including Computer-Integrated Machining, Electronics Engineering Technology, Industrial Systems Technology, and Welding Technology.
Among associate degree programs, Computer-Integrated Machining had the highest two-year Manufacturing employment rate at 67 percent, followed by Industrial Systems Technology and Welding Technology at 45 percent each. For certificate programs, Computer-Integrated Machining also had the highest rate at 60 percent, followed by Industrial Systems Technology at 45 percent.
Average annual wages were generally higher for associate degree graduates than for certificate completers in the same fields. Ten years after graduation, Electronics Engineering Technology associate degree graduates employed in Manufacturing earned an average of $81,966, compared with $74,205 for certificate completers. For Computer-Integrated Machining, average annual wages were $70,187 and $55,638, respectively.
Table 2
Average Wages3 and Employment Rates in the Manufacturing Sector, 2013 Cohort
Year 2 | Year 10 | ||||
| Associate Degree | Graduates | Emp. Rate | Average Annual Wage | Emp. Rate | Average Annual Wage |
| Computer-Integrated Machining | 84 | 67% | $48,760 | 48% | $70,187 |
| Electronics Engineering Technology | 200 | 33% | $61,830 | 31% | $81,966 |
| Industrial Systems Technology | 123 | 45% | $59,761 | 35% | $74,039 |
| Mechanical Engineering Technology | 166 | 34% | $55,258 | 31% | $68,010 |
| Welding Technology | 58 | 45% | $29,988 | 24% | $62,692 |
| All Associate Degrees | 24,971 | 6% | $39,169 | 7% | $60,012 |
| Certificate | |||||
| Computer-Integrated Machining | 181 | 60% | $39,239 | 47% | $55,638 |
| Electronics Engineering Technology | 119 | 32% | $60,553 | 34% | $74,205 |
| Industrial Systems Technology | 154 | 45% | $52,169 | 36% | $68,463 |
| Nondestructive Examination Technology | 53 | 34% | $51,419 | 28% | $77,694 |
| Welding Technology | 476 | 29% | $34,467 | 28% | $49,136 |
| All Certificates | 13,737 | 9% | $39,488 | 9% | $52,751 |
2023 Cohort: Manufacturing Technology Had the Highest Manufacturing Employment Rate
The mix of leading programs shifted again in the 2023 cohort, with Manufacturing Technology joining the top associate degree programs. Computer-Integrated Machining and Industrial Systems Technology were among the top programs at both credential levels, along with Applied Engineering Technology and Mechatronics Engineering Technology.
For associate degree graduates, Manufacturing Technology had the highest Manufacturing employment rate two years after completion, at 84 percent, followed by Computer-Integrated Machining at 60 percent. Among certificate completers, Computer-Integrated Machining and Industrial Systems Technology had the highest rates at 58 and 55 percent, respectively.
As in earlier cohorts, there was no consistent pattern in Manufacturing employment rates by credential level. Average annual wages were higher for associate degree graduates than for certificate completers in Applied Engineering Technology, Computer-Integrated Machining, and Industrial Systems Technology. Wages were similar for Mechatronics Engineering Technology graduates, averaging $62,965 for associate degree graduates and $62,206 for certificate completers.
Table 3
Average Wages4 and Employment Rates in the Manufacturing Sector, 2023 Cohort
| Year 2 | ||
| Associate Degree | Graduates | Emp. Rate | Average Annual Wage |
| Applied Engineering Technology | 49 | 39% | $49,718 |
| Computer-Integrated Machining | 96 | 60% | $53,530 |
| Industrial Systems Technology | 118 | 50% | $63,492 |
| Manufacturing Technology | 45 | 84% | $54,811 |
| Mechatronics Engineering Technology | 132 | 54% | $62,965 |
| All Associate Degrees | 30,455 | 5% | $39,342 |
| Certificate | |||
| Applied Engineering Technology | 56 | 45% | $40,720 |
| Computer-Integrated Machining | 185 | 58% | $44,497 |
| Industrial Systems Technology | 224 | 55% | $56,559 |
| Mechanical Engineering Technology | 149 | 34% | $45,825 |
| Mechatronics Engineering Technology | 146 | 49% | $62,206 |
| All Certificates | 20,131 | 10% | $40,613 |
Across the three cohorts, some of the programs most strongly associated with Manufacturing employment changed, while Computer-Integrated Machining and Industrial Systems Technology remained recurring pathways. These patterns highlight NCCCS’s role in preparing students for careers in Manufacturing and show how pathways into the sector have changed over time. This information is particularly relevant to the Strategies to Advance North Carolina’s Workforce Development Progress initiative to design sector-based strategies that better align talent development with employer needs, including in advanced manufacturing. Understanding how these pathways change over time can help educators and workforce partners identify programs that contribute to North Carolina’s Manufacturing workforce and inform future workforce development efforts.