KEY POINTS:
- U.S. Manufacturing Resurgence: Manufacturing operations expected to increase 7% onshore, with 449,000 open positions in 2025
- High-Demand Technical Roles: Advanced Equipment Technicians, Precision Machining, and Automation Engineers leading job growth
- Workforce Transformation: Beyond factories, reshoring rebuilds specialized talent ecosystem across digital-industrial hybrid roles
As America ramps up reshoring efforts, major companies likeTSMC, IBM, Thermo Fisher, and Hyundai are investing billions of dollars into U.S. manufacturing. But alongside this capital surge, a key question emerges: what kinds of jobs are actually coming back?
U.S. manufacturing is making a strong comeback. Here are the indications:
- Over the next three years, manufacturing executives expect onshore operations to increase to 48% (a 7% increase)
- In 2021, over 260,000 jobs were brought back from overseas, and as of March 2025, there are 449,000 open manufacturing positions
- By 2030, the U.S. is expected to add around 3.85 million new jobs that require technical proficiency.
This manufacturing resurgence is fueling the return of a wide range of technical and trade jobs, many of which had been offshored or scaled down. The impact extends beyond the anchor facilities, rippling across supplier networks and reshaping the landscape of high-tech manufacturing employment in the U.S. Here are some of the manufacturing roles likely to return:
1. Advanced Equipment Assembly & Field Service Technicians
As semiconductor and biotech OEMs expand U.S. operations, companies like Applied Materials, Lam Research, and KLA are bringing critical roles back onshore to support real-time assembly, testing, installation, and maintenance of complex equipment. These positions—once largely offshore—are returning to meet the demands of new domestic fabs and production facilities. With the U.S. expected to build 18 to 20 new semiconductor fabs, creating up to 90,000 new jobs, the sector is set for 50% workforce expansion. The country urgently needs more advanced equipment assembly and field service technicians, and 80% of Americans believe the U.S. would benefit from boosting domestic manufacturing jobs.
2. Precision Machining & Fabrication
Precision machining jobs like CNC machining, tool-and-die making, welding, and injection molding are returning to the U.S. to meet growing demand for highly accurate and customized components in sectors like semiconductors, EVs, aerospace, defense, electronics, and medical devices, Companies are reshoring to diversify supply chains, especially in the Midwest and California region. The global precision machining market, valued at $107 billion in 2023, is projected to grow 7.8% annually through 2030, with CNC operations leading the sector, accounting for over 78.5% of global revenue in 2023.
3. Cleanroom & Facility Construction Specialists
Demand for cleanroom and facility construction specialists, such as HVAC experts, plumbing and piping experts, and construction project managers, is surging as the U.S. expands and reshores its network of fabs, biotech labs, and chip plants. Building a single semiconductor fab can require up to 6,000 construction workers over three years, and with over 60 major projects underway, an estimated 115,000 construction jobs will be created. Globally, the HVAC market is projected to grow from $281.7 billion in 2024 to $389.9 billion by 2029, driven by smart technology and energy efficiency incentives. In the U.S., HVAC is forecasted to grow at a 7.4% CAGR through 2030, as traditional roles evolve alongside emerging technologies such as IoT systems, smart connectivity, leak detection, robotics, and sustainable plumbing solutions.
4. Automation, Robotics & Controls Engineers
As U.S. manufacturing shifts toward smart factories and Industry 4.0, reshoring drives the demand for PLC programmers, systems integrators, automation, robotics, and controls engineers. Automation technicians help maintain and develop advanced, computer-controlled systems, while robotics engineers help build automated machines that improve efficiency and safety, streamline manufacturing workflows, and design autonomous production systems. With automation roles projected to grow 11% over the next five years, this field is critical not just for OEMs, but also for automation vendors and contract manufacturing partners in the electronics, EVs, and medical devices sector.
5. Manufacturing Quality & Compliance Roles
As advanced manufacturing returns to the U.S., there’s growing demand for quality engineers, compliance auditors, lab technicians, and process validation experts to meet strict regulatory and performance standards in industries like semiconductors, aerospace, and medical devices. With the rise of automation, quality assurance is evolving to be more data-driven, smart QA managers now use data analytics and automated systems to consistently monitor and meet product quality standards across complex production environments.
6. Technical Support & Applications Engineering
U.S. manufacturers are placing greater emphasis on hiring applications engineers and technical support staff who can work on-site with customers to troubleshoot complex equipment and deliver tailored solutions. These roles, once commonly outsourced, are now seen as critical to maintaining operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Although specific job outlook data for applications engineers isn’t available, similar roles like software developers are expected to grow by 22% from 2019 to 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
7. Industrial IT & Cybersecurity Roles
With increased digitization of manufacturing systems, reshoring is driving demand for OT cybersecurity professionals, manufacturing IT systems analysts, and data engineers. These roles are essential for protecting interconnected manufacturing systems that are increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats. IT security specialists play a key role by identifying digital risks, reinforcing network defenses, and responding swiftly to potential breaches. As safeguarding smart factories becomes a national security priority, cybersecurity has become critical to maintaining operational integrity and protecting proprietary information, fueling domestic hiring in these once-overlooked industrial tech roles.
The Bottom Line:
As reshoring transforms American manufacturing, it’s not just about bringing factories back—it’s rebuilding the workforce behind them. From the return of high-skill trades to the rise of hybrid digital-industrial roles, this movement is reshaping what it means to work in American manufacturing.
Whether you’re an experienced engineer or a highly skilled manufacturing professional, the demand for your skills is real and growing. Connect with a technical recruiter at SoloPoint Solutions to discover high-demand roles with leading manufacturers in California and the Midwest.