Basic industries are the pillar of any country’s economy. They directly or indirectly offer jobs to all kinds of workers, dominating the whole job market. It’s a large field consisting of different industries with one thing in common that the raw material they produce is used by other industries to make final products.
Therefore, numerous work possibilities are available in this sector. There are Five key sectors of basic industries that help to operate the US economy. Agriculture, mining, construction, manufacturing, and utilities fall under those sectors.
However, all these sectors don’t offer the same job opportunities and vacancies for job seekers. So, let’s check how many jobs are available in basic industries.
What are Basic Industries?
The Basic industries are industries that focus on finding, developing, extracting, processing, and distributing the raw materials to other manufacturing industries. Basic industries are the root of a strong economy as it is where the production cycle starts.
How Many Jobs are Available in the Basic Industries?
Basic industries are the most secure and conventional industries. Since the need for basic goods never goes away, the job opportunities in the basic industry will remain the same. Everything from mining, construction, and transportation to farming, fishing, and manufacturing comes under the umbrella of basic industries.
So, if you want to work for one of these industries, go through this article to know how many jobs are available in basic industries.
What Types of Jobs are Available in Basic Industries?
The increasing number of industries and careers related to basic industries is undoubtedly overwhelming. However, if you’re interested in agriculture, manufacturing, or energy, there are various companies in basic industries that offer jobs for people who have the proper skills. Following is the list of some of the available job options that you can check to see what career option suits you most.
1. Agricultural Scientist: The key responsibility of this sector is to study the growth of plants, soil conditions, and animal husbandry. People in this field conduct research to increase the productivity and longevity of field crops and farm animals.
They also provide solutions for problems such as changes in the environment and outbreaks of a disease that might affect the food supply chain across a country. The average salary of an Agriculture scientist is $80,000
2. Environmental Scientist: This is someone who uses the knowledge of natural sciences to protect the environment and human health. They try to find the best possible solutions to solve the issue affecting our environment and culture.
The prime responsibility of an Environmental scientist is to study natural resources and suggest how they can be preserved so that humans can use them without worrying about getting infected. Environmental scientists earn up to &71,000 on average.
3. Animal Scientist: An Animal scientist studies various species of domestic animal and often work with livestock like cattle to understand biological and chemical processes related to the growth of animals.
It’s their responsibility to make sure that every animal gets proper nutrition and medical care to improve productivity to develop both the health condition of animals and the income levels of farmers. They play a vital role in maintaining and increasing the quality and quantity of a country’s food supply. The average salary of an Animal scientist is $71,000.
4. Biomedical Engineer: The prime focus of Biomedical engineers are to improve medicine and technology to develop new equipment and devices that help diagnose and treat injuries more quickly. A Biomedical engineer can make up to $77,000 on average.
5. Food Technologist: People in this field take care of product development, review and approve nutritional data, write about the specifications of products and enforce USDA labeling regulations on modified and new food products.
They are responsible for tasting food products for safety and quality control and developing methods to process raw elements into safe food. An average salary of a Food technologist is $62,000.
6. Electronics Technician: This is someone who helps to check, install, manufacture, develop, design, and repair electrical and electronic equipment. They are responsible for the installation of wiring systems and other electrical elements of machines and appliances in order to the specifications of manufacturers. The average salary of people associated with this profession is $59,000.
7. Civil Engineer: The main responsibility of civil engineers is to design, supervise, build, operate, construct and maintain infrastructure projects in the private and public sectors.
They plan and supervise projects related to construction from beginning to end, including bridges, buildings, roads, tunnels, dams, etc. A Civil engineer’s average salary is $78,000.
8. Mechanical Engineer: Mechanical engineers are people who create and design different types of machinery, such as electric generators, steam and gas turbines, refrigeration and air-conditioning machine, etc. It’s also their responsibility to design other machines inside buildings, like escalators and elevators. The average salary of a Mechanical engineer is $83,000.
9. Chemical Engineer: This is someone who designs and develops chemical manufacturing processes. They apply scientific principles to create new materials and solve issues involved with production. They also work for the improvement of existing substances that are used in manufacturing processes. A Chemical engineer can earn up to $87,000 on average.
10. Machine Operator: It’s someone who is responsible for operating machinery. They take care of the maintenance of machines and ensure that all machine runs smoothly and function properly without any issue. The average earning of a machine operator is $43,000.
11. Machinists: These are highly trained people who operate machine tools and have good knowledge about the materials needed to create a machine setup. The average salary of a Machinist is $46,594.
12. Welder & Cutter: People associated with this profession use welding guns to cut metal pieces. They use electrical currents to join beams in the construction area as well as to join pipes in pipelines, power plants, and refineries. They can make $45,000 on average.
13. Industrial Designer: The prime focus of an Industrial designer is to create and develop the concepts for manufactured goods such as home appliances, cars, electronics, etc. They also work to launch those designs in the market. The average earning of an Industrial engineer is $70,000.
14. Tool Designer: People connected with this job work to develop the primary designs of new instruments that are used in industrial manufacturing. They use computer programs to ensure that all parts of machinery fit together properly before the beginning of mass production. They can earn $65,000 on average.
15. Construction Labour: These are the people who help contractors to build new projects or renovate old projects such as large commercial buildings or residential homes. The average salary of these people is $30,000.
16. Agronomists: Agronomists basically work with farmers and help them to grow plants and collect crops on a vast scale. This path provides good compensation and will test your managing skills by providing constant work throughout your career. As of 2022, the average salary of an Agronomist is $74,000
17. Health and Safety Officers: The new workers in the basic industries start their education with information about the dangers and hazards of their professions. That’s why people who work with metals, chemicals, and large agricultural equipment must learn how to avoid damage.
The primary work of health and security officers is to check the on-the-job safety training techniques and keep a record of all work-related accidents. The average earning for this job is $54,000.
18. Automotive Service Technician and Mechanic: This is someone who inspects, maintains, and repairs cars and light trucks. The average earning of an Automotive service technician and mechanic is $37,000.
19. Operating Engineers: They are people who maintain the operations systems of a company. People in this profession are responsible for designing the layouts of heavy equipment, analyzing machinery, assisting in technical operations, running various tests, and applying changes. The average salary of an Operating engineer is $87,646.
20. Construction Equipment Operator: The key responsibilities of people associated with this job are to drive and control heavy machinery that is used for the construction of roads, buildings, bridges, and more. The average salary is $68,743.
21. Crane Operator: It’s someone who uses a crane to lift, move and place heavy objects and machines used in construction and industrial sites, railway yards, ports, and other similar sectors. The average salary of a Crane operator is $44,000.
22. Geologist: A Geologist is someone who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter of Earth. They work both inside and outside. It’s their responsibility to taste samples of soil, mineral, liquid, and rock and observe them properly. The average earning of a Geologist is $58,874.
23. Roofers: The key work of Roofers is to install roof panels and shingles. A roofer can earn $38,000 on average.
24. Glazier: This is someone who installs window glasses and skylights. The average salary in this profession is $38,000.
If you’re interested in one of these careers but can’t make a decision on whether it’ll be good enough to choose this field as a career, you can read our article is basic industries a good career path? to know more about careers in basic industries.
Conclusion
As mentioned, the main source of raw materials for the other manufacturing and production disciplines are basic industries. It means the need for workers in basic industries will never end. So, if you’re wondering what types of jobs are available in basic industries and how much salaries can be expected, then you’re in the right place. You can check the detailed descriptions of all the above-mentioned jobs and choose one of them as your career. What are you waiting for? Just go and check what job suits you most.
