What Massachusetts plant jobs ask for, and what moves pay

Findings from 354 live postings on manufacturers' own careers sites in Massachusetts, week of October 19, 2026. Each one shows how many postings it rests on; anything with too few is left out.

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What most plant jobs ask for

The typical plant posting in Massachusetts asks for 5+ years, and 51% require a degree outright. The skills named most are Root cause, Automation, Lean.

Root causenamed in 36% of postingsTop
Automationnamed in 29% of postings
Leannamed in 27% of postings
Team leadershipnamed in 26% of postings
Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ)named in 25% of postings
Toolingnamed in 24% of postings
Six Sigma / belt19% of postings
Travel stated14% of postings

Based on 354 postings. Link to this finding

Unusual opportunities worth a look

Perks and openings most plant postings don't offer, and how many in Massachusetts do right now.

Paid relocation10 postings (3%)
Formal training program9 postings (3%)
Stated promotion path70 postings (20%)Top
Tuition help40 postings (11%)
New plant or launch12 postings (3%)
Hybrid or remote days32 postings (9%)
Sign-on bonus3 postings (1%)

🔒 6 more example roles behind this finding. See them with a free account →

Manufacturing Supervisor, Drug Product · Thermo Fisher Scientific · Plainville, MA

Based on 354 postings. Link to this finding

The best-paying open roles right now

The highest posted ranges for engineering-level plant roles in Massachusetts.

🔒 5 more example roles behind this finding. See them with a free account →

Staff Automation Engineer NPI · Insulet · Acton, MA · $155k–$259k

Based on 99 postings. Link to this finding

Ask for a Six Sigma belt: +22% posted pay

Within the same team, postings that ask for a six sigma belt list a typical base 22% higher than those that don't (1 team with enough data).

Manufacturing$135k vs $110k (10 vs 17 postings)Top

Based on 27 postings. Link to this finding

Include off-shift or on-call coverage: +6% posted pay

Within the same team, postings that include off-shift or on-call coverage list a typical base 6% higher than those that don't (2 teams with enough data).

Manufacturing$139k vs $110k (8 vs 19 postings)Top
Quality$108k vs $124k (8 vs 27 postings)

Based on 62 postings. Link to this finding

What experience is worth

Postings asking 8+ years list a typical base 25% above those asking 3–4 years.

3–4 years$100k typical base (21 postings)
5–7 years$125k typical base (37 postings)Top
8+ years$124k typical base (24 postings)

Based on 88 postings. Link to this finding

7 more findings for Massachusetts

Skills that come as a package
Quality roles
How often a degree is required
Off-shift and weekend coverage
Physical demands
Clearance and export-control roles
How much travel

See all 13 findings, with the numbers behind them

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Source and method

Source: ShopFloorJobs analysis of 354 live plant job postings from 111 manufacturers' own careers sites (Workday, SuccessFactors, Oracle, iCIMS, Greenhouse and others), not job boards.
Collected: Week of October 19, 2026. Postings are re-checked daily; closed roles drop out.
Method: Pay is the middle of each posting's listed range for engineer and senior engineer levels, compared within the same team so a different mix of teams can't create a gap. Rates count postings that state the item. Correlation, not cause; findings with too few postings are left out.

Cite this report

ShopFloorJobs, "What Massachusetts plant jobs ask for, and what moves pay," Week of October 19, 2026. https://shopfloorjobs.com/reports/insights?state=massachusetts

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Massachusetts plant jobs report: who's hiring and pay by team →