B.R. ranks No. 20 for manufacturing pay

An extensive report from The Brookings Institution on manufacturing in America’s 100 largest metro areas says Baton Rouge boasts the 20th-best average pay for those in the industry, at $68,522 annually, according to 2010 figures. Topping the list is the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif., metro, where the average worker makes $144,899 a year. The report, which Brookings says is the most complete look at manufacturing by region released to date, says Baton Rouge’s sole leading manufacturing sector is specialized chemicals. Access the full report and get more details at the Brookings website here. Meanwhile, an unrelated report released today from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economics and Statistics Administration says total hourly compensation for manufacturing workers is 17% higher than for non-manufacturing workers. The report, titled “The Benefits of Manufacturing Jobs,” also finds the share of manufacturing workers with more than a high school degree has been steadily increasing, with more than half of all manufacturing workers holding at least some college education. You can check out that report in its entirety here.