Tobacco Products Industry Workers
Overview
Introduction
Tobacco products industry workers manufacture cigars, cigarettes, chewing tobacco, smoking tobacco, and snuff from leaf tobacco. They dry, cure, age, cut, roll, form, and package tobacco in products used by millions of people in the United States and in other countries around the world. Approximately 10,620 people are employed in the tobacco manufacturing industry.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Wages for tobacco production workers are generally higher than for most other producers of consumable goods. Earnings vary considerably with the plant and the workers' job skills and responsibilities.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, median annual earnings of food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders were $33,880 in May 2019. Salaries ra...
Work Environment
In most plants, worker comfort and efficiency are important concerns. Work areas are usually clean, well lighted, and pleasantly air-conditioned. Manufacturing processes are automated wherever possible, and the equipment is designed with safety and comfort in mind. On the downside, much of the work is highly repetitive, and people can find their work very monotonous. Also, tobacco has a strong ...
Outlook
The U.S. Department of Labor predicts slower than average employment growth for food and tobacco processing workers through 2029. Employment in the tobacco industry has decreased in recent decades, mainly the result of increased automation in manufacturing processes. Manufacturers have also cut back operations due to declining domestic sales and the increasing number of health-related lawsuits....
