What North Carolina plant jobs ask for, and what moves pay
Findings from 407 live postings on manufacturers' own careers sites in North Carolina, week of October 19, 2026. Each one shows how many postings it rests on; anything with too few is left out.
What most plant jobs ask for
The typical plant posting in North Carolina asks for 5+ years, and 37% require a degree outright. The skills named most are Team leadership, Root cause, Lean.
- Team leadershipnamed in 38% of postingsTop
- Root causenamed in 27% of postings
- Leannamed in 25% of postings
- PLCnamed in 22% of postings
- Toolingnamed in 18% of postings
- Automationnamed in 18% of postings
- Six Sigma / belt15% of postings
- Travel stated12% of postings
Based on 407 postings. Link to this finding
Unusual opportunities worth a look
Perks and openings most plant postings don't offer, and how many in North Carolina do right now.
- Paid relocation31 postings (8%)
- Formal training program29 postings (7%)
- Stated promotion path84 postings (21%)Top
- Tuition help51 postings (13%)
- New plant or launch21 postings (5%)
- Hybrid or remote days9 postings (2%)
- Sign-on bonus3 postings (1%)
🔒 6 more example roles behind this finding. See them with a free account →
- Manufacturing Engineer - Assembly · Caterpillar · Clayton, NC
Based on 407 postings. Link to this finding
The best-paying open roles right now
The highest posted ranges for engineering-level plant roles in North Carolina.
🔒 5 more example roles behind this finding. See them with a free account →
- Supplier Quality Engineer · Eaton · Charlotte, NC · $128k–$193k
Based on 37 postings. Link to this finding
Skills that come as a package
When a posting names Six Sigma, 82% of the time it also names Lean. Put pairs like these side by side on your résumé.
- Six Sigma → Lean82% (49 postings)Top
- New product launch → Lean63% (30 postings)
- Six Sigma → Root cause58% (35 postings)
- New product launch → Root cause56% (27 postings)
- Automation → PLC51% (38 postings)
Based on 407 postings. Link to this finding
How often a degree is required
37% of plant postings in North Carolina require a degree outright. Highest in industrial (31%), lowest in food & beverage (28%).
- Industrial31% of 231 postingsTop
- Food & beverage28% of 43 postings
Based on 407 postings. Link to this finding
Off-shift and weekend coverage
22% of plant postings in North Carolina mention off-shift, weekend or on-call coverage. Highest in industrial (18%), lowest in food & beverage (14%).
- Industrial18% of 231 postingsTop
- Food & beverage14% of 43 postings
Based on 407 postings. Link to this finding
3 more findings for North Carolina
- Physical demands
- Clearance and export-control roles
- How much travel
See all 9 findings, with the numbers behind them
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Source and method
- Source
- ShopFloorJobs analysis of 407 live plant job postings from 137 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 North Carolina plant jobs ask for, and what moves pay," Week of October 19, 2026. https://shopfloorjobs.com/reports/insights?state=north-carolina
Free to quote and share with a link to this page.
North Carolina plant jobs report: who's hiring and pay by team →