Other production occupations

Two in three are employed in manufacturing establishments.
While a high school diploma is sufficient for basic testing of products, complex precision-inspecting positions are filled by experienced assemblers, machine operators, or mechanics who already have a thorough knowledge of the products and production processes.
Employment is expected to decline, reflecting the growth of automated inspection and the redistribution of quality-control responsibilities from inspectors to other production workers.

About 40 percent of all jewelers are self-employed.
Jewelers usually learn their trade in vocational or technical schools, through distance-learning centers, or on the job.
Prospects for new jewelers should be excellent; many employers have difficulty finding and retaining workers with the right skills to replace those who retire or who leave the occupation for other reasons.

Around 3 out of 5 salaried jobs were in medical equipment and supply manufacturing laboratories, which usually are small, privately owned businesses with fewer than 5 employees.
Most medical, dental, and ophthalmic laboratory technicians learn their craft on the job; however, many employers prefer to hire those with formal training in a related field.
Slower-than-average employment growth is expected for dental and ophthalmic laboratory technicians, while average employment growth is expected for medical appliance technicians.
Job opportunities should be favorable as employers have difficulty filling trainee positions.

About 70 percent of jobs are in manufacturing establishments.
Most workers acquire their skills on the job; for most operators, training lasts from a few days to several months, but becoming skilled in all aspects of automotive painting usually requires 1 to 2 years.
Overall employment is projected to grow more slowly than average; transportation equipment painters are expected to grow about as fast as average, while coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders are expected to decline.

A decline in employment is expected as digital photography becomes commonplace.
Most receive on-the-job training from their companies, manufacturers' representatives, and experienced workers.
Job opportunities will be best for individuals with experience using computers and digital technology.

Employment is expected to decline over the next 10 years because of increasing automation of fabrication plants in this country and the building of many of the new plants abroad.
An associate degree in a relevant curriculum is increasingly required.

Fatalities

2004 Fatal occupational injuries by occupation and event or exposure

Occupation	Fatalities: Event or exposure
Occupation	Total	Tran.	Viol.	Cont.	Falls	Expo.	Fires
Other production occupations	95	19	9	38	11	9	9

source: Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities Program; about this section