Would you work in a factory making I-Phones?

[1srelluc]

Now I know most folks on this forum are retired now but back in the day, say in a factory that made the old ATT phones and you are just starting out.

Depending on the pay/bennies I would have in a heartbeat.

I don't know why but it seems these days factory work is looked down upon because it's so removed (generationally) from what we had in America before NAFTA. Folks have forgotten the pride that came with such work.

Back then if you had a few factories in town they would have their own softball teams and such. They would be Little League sponsors and did all manner of other little things to help the community like supporting those kids that were not college bound with limited hours work programs at their sites with an eye on employing them after graduation.

We really need to make "factory towns" in America great again.

 

[odanny]

I've lived in a factory town most of my life. Most of the factory jobs disappeared, but I was lucky enough to hold on to one of the good ones before it was eventually ended with my retirement. Most factory jobs are low paying jobs these days, unless you are in a high tech environment, and those are limited and usually require experience and education.

As long as the pay is low, the work environment will not be appealing to anyone, and only the poorest, most desperate will apply.

Seen it firsthand.

 

[DonGlock26]

Now I know most folks on this forum are retired now but back in the day, say in a factory that made the old ATT phones and you are just starting out.

Depending on the pay/bennies I would have in a heartbeat.

I don't know why but it seems these days factory work is looked down upon because it's so removed (generationally) from what we had in America before NAFTA. Folks have forgotten the pride that came with such work.

Back then if you had a few factories in town they would have their own softball teams and such. They would be Little League sponsors and did all manner of other little things to help the community like supporting those kids that were not college bound with limited hours work programs at their sites with an eye on employing them after graduation.

We really need to make "factory towns" in America great again.

I grew up in the Rust Belt. Factory jobs lost their appeal, when globalism made a career in manufacturing seem like a dead end.
That's why everyone suddenly tried to get a college degree. Then businesses and the gov't began to require a college degree to get hired for almost any job with a future. Now, everyone has a college degree and they aren't worth much.

 

[1srelluc]

As of May 01, 2025, the average annual pay of Factory Worker in the United States is $48,720. While Salary.com is seeing that Factory Worker salary in the US can go up to $59,632 or down to $38,091, but most earn between $43,156 and $54,432.

Factory Worker Salary | Salary.com

The average Factory Worker salary is $48,720 in the US. Salaries for the Factory Worker will be paid differently by location, company, and other factors.

www.salary.com

The more manufacturing we can bring back to the US the more wages will rise due to competition for workers in factory start-ups.

That's why it's so important to get shed of the illegals and stand on the feet of those that employ them.

If they want to hire H2Bs with work permits then it should only be in the service industry or agriculture, not manufacturing.

 

[ReinyDays]

Now I know most folks on this forum are retired now but back in the day, say in a factory that made the old ATT phones and you are just starting out.

Depending on the pay/bennies I would have in a heartbeat.

I don't know why but it seems these days factory work is looked down upon because it's so removed (generationally) from what we had in America before NAFTA. Folks have forgotten the pride that came with such work.

Back then if you had a few factories in town they would have their own softball teams and such. They would be Little League sponsors and did all manner of other little things to help the community like supporting those kids that were not college bound with limited hours work programs at their sites with an eye on employing them after graduation.

We really need to make "factory towns" in America great again.

Pay was crap and "bennies" non-existent ...

... fires ...
... more fire ...
... and still more fire ...

Factories in Factory Towns paid in script that was only redeemable in Factory Stores ... until labor unions came along ...

 

[OhPleaseJustQuit]

Now I know most folks on this forum are retired now but back in the day, say in a factory that made the old ATT phones and you are just starting out.

Depending on the pay/bennies I would have in a heartbeat.

I don't know why but it seems these days factory work is looked down upon because it's so removed (generationally) from what we had in America before NAFTA. Folks have forgotten the pride that came with such work.

Back then if you had a few factories in town they would have their own softball teams and such. They would be Little League sponsors and did all manner of other little things to help the community like supporting those kids that were not college bound with limited hours work programs at their sites with an eye on employing them after graduation.

We really need to make "factory towns" in America great again.

.

If I weren't well past retirement age, I'd be happy to do that kind of work. In a vocational aptitude test, I scored very well in the activity of doing the same task over and over. My personal hobbies have usually involved doing repetitive tasks, over and over.

My town is largely retired folks, but we are "supporters". If we had enough folks of working age here, we'd make a good "company town".


.

 

[1srelluc]

Pay was crap and "bennies" non-existent ...

... fires ...
... more fire ...
... and still more fire ...

Factories in Factory Towns paid in script that was only redeemable in Factory Stores ... until labor unions came along ...

I did 20 years for DuPont and the pay and bennies were excellent. Non-Union plant too.

 

[Winston]

As of May 01, 2025, the average annual pay of Factory Worker in the United States is $48,720. While Salary.com is seeing that Factory Worker salary in the US can go up to $59,632 or down to $38,091, but most earn between $43,156 and $54,432.

Factory Worker Salary | Salary.com

The average Factory Worker salary is $48,720 in the US. Salaries for the Factory Worker will be paid differently by location, company, and other factors.

www.salary.com

And yet the median income in the US is over $80,000.

 

[1srelluc]

And yet the median income in the US is over $80,000.

And college grads are working at coffee shops.....So.

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

Now I know most folks on this forum are retired now but back in the day, say in a factory that made the old ATT phones and you are just starting out.

Depending on the pay/bennies I would have in a heartbeat.

I don't know why but it seems these days factory work is looked down upon because it's so removed (generationally) from what we had in America before NAFTA. Folks have forgotten the pride that came with such work.

Back then if you had a few factories in town they would have their own softball teams and such. They would be Little League sponsors and did all manner of other little things to help the community like supporting those kids that were not college bound with limited hours work programs at their sites with an eye on employing them after graduation.

We really need to make "factory towns" in America great again.

Twin Falls, Idaho is an anomaly--a factory town..surrounded by both dairy farms and regular farmers.
Chobani, Agropur, Glambia, Idaho Milk Products, Dairygold employ literally thousands..at $20-$30 an hour.
Spears Manufacturing and Hi-lex Poly.
Then there's Fall's Brand...meats---and Amalgamated Sugar--beets to sugar plant. Clif Bar has a factory here--right next to Chobani.
Our community of slightly over 50,000 is constantly benefiting from this.
The factory workers all drive new trucks..are buying homes--living the American dream.

Of course, this means that we depend on illegal labor for most of the dairy work.
You'd think ICE would be all over this--solid Red Idaho....and yet, not a peep.
Now..get arrested as an illegal..and away they go.
Keep their head down, obey the law and make no waves---keep wrangling those dairy cows:

They're untouchable..as are the farmers.

The point?

That without the cheap labor..the dairies would have to pay $20 instead of $10-12 an hour.
They would have to raise the prices of milk..thus choking the profit out of the factories.
In turn, the factories would either close or reduce their workforce...and raise their prices, which would lead to reduced sales--perpetuating the cycle.


America runs on cheap labor..and always has~

 

[Dr.Destructo]

Now I know most folks on this forum are retired now but back in the day, say in a factory that made the old ATT phones and you are just starting out.

Depending on the pay/bennies I would have in a heartbeat.

I don't know why but it seems these days factory work is looked down upon because it's so removed (generationally) from what we had in America before NAFTA. Folks have forgotten the pride that came with such work.

Back then if you had a few factories in town they would have their own softball teams and such. They would be Little League sponsors and did all manner of other little things to help the community like supporting those kids that were not college bound with limited hours work programs at their sites with an eye on employing them after graduation.

We really need to make "factory towns" in America great again.

I've worked in factories before.

But I research the company first, before I ever apply.

And Apple is one heinously corrupt company, so no...........I'd never work for them.
And I don't buy their cheap made Chinese garbage that is heinously overpriced either.

 

[leftwinger]

And yet the median income in the US is over $80,000.

Factory line jobs are for younger workers or those that don’t really have motivation to move up or succeed better. Many of them like it. I know, I have been around hi-tech MFG over decades, overseas also. Same over there but they get more daily benefits like meals, rides to work and home.

Plugging in a part and hitting the test button. Looks horribly boring but many like it. Wearing headphones, listening to something all day.

Or setting up and running equipment. Babysitting 2-4 machines is common. Tearing down, cleaning up. $50K + $8K XMAS bonus aint chop suey.

You forkers want me to pay them to sit home? Drugging, breeding, crime?

 

[leftwinger]

I've worked in factories before.

But I research the company first, before I ever apply.

And Apple is one heinously corrupt company, so no...........I'd never work for them.
And I don't buy their cheap made Chinese garbage that is heinously overpriced either.

Get hungry or homeless you might sing a different tune.

 

[ReinyDays]

I did 20 years for DuPont and the pay and bennies were excellent. Non-Union plant too.

My experience in manufacturing was in electronics ... like making iPhones ... today this is all automated ... where I used to work with middle-aged Mexican women, today it's all robots ... it's like printing ... one sheet in 10,000 prints wrong we just throw it away, it's not worth trying to fix ... ask any unemployed electronic technician ... cheaper to smelt a broken iPhone than to fix it ...

Bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States is inflationary ...

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

Factory line jobs are for younger workers or those that don’t really have motivation to move up or succeed better. Many of them like it. I know, I have been around hi-tech MFG over decades, overseas also. Same over there but they get more daily benefits like meals, rides to work and home.

Plugging in a part and hitting the test button. Looks horribly boring but many like it. Wearing headphones, listening to something all day.

Or setting up and running equipment. Babysitting 2-4 machines is common. Tearing down, cleaning up. $50K + $8K XMAS bonus aint chop suey.

You forkers want me to pay them to sit home? Drugging, breeding, crime?

I know 2 20-somethings who work at Agropur (Jerome Cheese)--they make about $54k a year--+160 hours PTO.
They work 7 12 hour days out of 14 and get paid for 8---Sunday is double time.

Judicious use of PTO mean you can use 36 hours..on your short week, and write yourself a 10 day paid vacation--4 times a year!

 

[1srelluc]

Twin Falls, Idaho is an anomaly--a factory town..surrounded by both dairy farms and regular farmers.
Chobani, Agropur, Glambia, Idaho Milk Products, Dairygold employ literally thousands..at $20-$30 an hour.
Spears Manufacturing and Hi-lex Poly.
Then there's Fall's Brand...meats---and Amalgamated Sugar--beets to sugar plant.
Our community of slightly over 50,000 is constantly benefiting from this.
The factory workers all drive new trucks..are buying homes--living the American dream.

Of course, this means that we depend on illegal labor for most of the dairy work.
You'd think ICE would be all over this--solid Red Idaho....and yet, not a peep.
Now..get arrested as an illegal..and away they go.
Keep their head down, obey the law and make no waves---keep wrangling those dairy cows:

They're untouchable..as are the farmers.

The point?

That without the cheap labor..the dairies would have to pay $20 instead of $10-12 an hour.
They would have to raise the prices of milk..thus choking the profit out of the factories.
In turn, the factories would either close or reduce their workforce...and raise their prices, which would lead to reduced sales--perpetuating the cycle.


America runs on cheap labor..and always has~

Before NAFTA America ran on competitive labor, always did.....Workers would bolt for an extra dollar an hour or better bennies.

It's just that completive wages have been bred out of the system for a couple generations now since our manufacturing was shipped overseas and the use of illegal labor for what was left.

Talk about dairy, our old Shenandoah's Pride Dairy was shuddered due to the use of illegal labor by it's competitors.

 

[leftwinger]

My experience in manufacturing was in electronics ... like making iPhones ... today this is all automated ... where I used to work with middle-aged Mexican women, today it's all robots ... it's like printing ... one sheet in 10,000 prints wrong we just throw it away, it's not worth trying to fix ... ask any unemployed electronic technician ... cheaper to smelt a broken iPhone than to fix it ...

Bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States is inflationary ...

MFG sites are not just “operator” jobs. From the first shovel in the ground to lading the first widget REQUIRES an army of highly skilled employees to get it going and keep it going. Menial jobs are still there too.

 

[ReinyDays]

And college grads are working at coffee shops.....So.

A math major would work there by choice ... how about a chemistry major at DuPont? ...

... or are we talking about 13th Century Troubadour Music major ...

 

[1srelluc]

I know 2 20-somethings who work at Agropur (Jerome Cheese)--they make about $54k a year--+160 hours PTO.
They work 7 12 hour days out of 14 and get paid for 8---Sunday is double time.

Judicious use of PTO mean you can use 36 hours..on your short week, and write yourself a 10 day paid vacation--4 times a year!

Seems sort of like my old DuPont schedule.

LOL....My old VDOC schedule was even better, 7 days on, 7 days off.

If you banked a years worth of vacation you could take two periods of 21 days off a year and still have near a year's worth of vacation time to roll over.

I had so much time banked when I retired I did not work for six months till my vacation, sick, and comp time ran out.

These days I hear they just lump sum you out.

 

[Dr.Destructo]

Get hungry or homeless you might sing a different tune.

I have, and I didn't.

I stand behind my ethics, unlike 99% of other people.