The U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturing sector is projected to add approximately 19,000 jobs between 2024 and 2034, representing 5.4% employment growth. Packaging and filling machine operators are among the fastest-growing roles by headcount, with demand driven by aging populations, supply chain reshoring, and advances in manufacturing technology.
- 19,000 new pharma manufacturing jobs expected by 2034, making it the eighth fastest-growing manufacturing industry in the U.S.
- Packaging and filling machine operators projected to add approximately 1,700 jobs, one of the fastest-growing occupations by total headcount
- Growth drivers include aging population demand for medicines, reshoring efforts to secure supply chains, and advances in scientific therapies
- Workforce replacement will create significant hiring beyond expansion, with baby boomer retirements opening thousands of positions annually
- Automation and digitalization driving demand for industrial machinery mechanics (26.1% growth) and data security specialists (25% growth)
The U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturing sector is expected to add approximately 19,000 jobs over the next decade, according to new projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). While much of the discussion around industry growth focuses on drug production capacity, the forecast also points to increased demand for packaging-related roles as manufacturers expand operations and modernize facilities.
The BLS projects pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing employment will grow 5.4% between 2024 and 2034, increasing from 350,500 employees in 2024 to 369,500 by 2034. That makes pharmaceutical manufacturing the eighth fastest-growing manufacturing industry in the United States by both percentage growth and total jobs added. There are a lot of reasons for segment growth including demographics and changing manufacturing practices.
“Various factors are driving this growth, including increasing aging population that benefit from medicines, expanding number of therapies due to advances in science, focus on reshoring medicine manufacturing to secure supply chains and access to medicine,” says Vince Wong, president and CEO of BioCrossroads, a nonprofit, public-private economic development and innovation organization that brings together industry, academia, investors, government, and nonprofits to strengthen Indiana's life sciences sector.
For healthcare packaging professionals, the projections suggest continued investment in manufacturing operations will require not only scientists and engineers but also workers responsible for packaging, filling, and production equipment.
Packaging Roles Among Fastest Growing by Headcount
While data scientists are projected to see the largest percentage increase in employment—31.3% over the next decade—they currently represent a relatively small portion of the pharmaceutical workforce.
Several manufacturing and packaging-related positions are expected to add substantially more employees. According to the BLS, packaging and filling machine operators and tenders are projected to add approximately 1,700 jobs between 2024 and 2034, making the role one of the fastest-growing occupations by total headcount. Chemists lead the list with an expected increase of 1,900 positions, followed closely by industrial engineers, which are projected to add 1,600 jobs.
Industrial machinery mechanics are also expected to experience significant growth, with employment projected to increase 26.1%. As pharmaceutical manufacturers continue investing in automation and advanced production lines, maintaining increasingly sophisticated equipment will become more important.
The projections also reflect the growing digitalization of pharmaceutical manufacturing. Data scientists are expected to be the fastest-growing occupation in percentage terms, while information security analysts are projected to grow 25% through 2034. Although these positions currently represent a small share of pharmaceutical employment, their growth highlights the industry's increasing reliance on data analytics, connected manufacturing systems, and cybersecurity.
For packaging operations, these trends align with broader adoption of smart manufacturing technologies, digital quality systems, machine connectivity, and data-driven production optimization.
Workforce Turnover Will Drive Hiring
Beyond industry expansion, workforce replacement is expected to create a significant number of employment opportunities.
Across all manufacturing industries, the BLS estimates employers will need to fill nearly one million production openings annually through 2034. Most of those openings are expected to result from retirements and workers permanently leaving their occupations rather than entirely new positions being created.
“Certainly, as the baby boomer generation continues to retire, combined with declining birth rates, restrictive immigration policies, and declining workforce participation of younger generations, all of these factor collide to create workforce challenges and employment opportunities for many sectors, including the life sciences,” says Wong. “Indiana, with the leadership of BioCrossroads and its many partners, are implementing programmatic initiatives aimed at multiple demographic groups – K-12, college students, and working adults – to create career pathways into the life sciences and healthcare sectors.”
PMMI, the association for packaging and processing technologies is also investing in the future of the segment in various ways. Most recently, the association contributed to mikeroweWORKS Foundation's 2026 scholarship program, which works to invest in workforce development and create pathways for individuals to pursue rewarding careers in technical and skilled trades professions.
New and skilled labor will be imperative to future-proofing operations, especially as labor remains a key challenge. Parsec's survey reveals that 59% of those surveyed agree that, compared to other industries, manufacturing’s inaccurate perception as a labor-intense, low-skill industry makes it harder to recruit top talent. And 72% say upskilling their workforce is critical to long-term viability over the next three years.
Reshoring May Continue to Shape Future Demand
The employment projections were released as pharmaceutical manufacturers continue announcing major investments in U.S. manufacturing capacity amid broader reshoring efforts. While numerous companies have committed billions of dollars toward expanding domestic production, the BLS projections remain relatively consistent with previous forecasts.
On the topic of reshoring, Parsec Automation released its State of Manufacturing Industry 2026 survey and found that reshoring has undergone a significant priority shift in the last few years.
According to the survey, 70% of manufacturers have completed or are in the process of reshoring. That’s from the 1,200 manufacturing leaders surveyed worldwide.
The survey also found that 64% of manufacturers said reshoring will increase job creation, while 56% say it will improve employee morale and retention, and 56% claimed it will increase demand for skilled labor.
For some industry experts, this growth is seen as temporary rather than a long-term projection.
“The future is bright from an AI perspective: we might discover fewer drugs but would need new models to produce and combine them….So in my opinion, the growth you see is temporary, and the days of dark factories in pharma (like in FMCG giants) are coming,” says Haider Alleg, Managing Director at Kainjoo and General Partner at Allegory Capital, specializing in life sciences and brand‑tech.
For healthcare packaging professionals, continued growth in pharmaceutical manufacturing is likely to translate into ongoing demand for packaging equipment operators, automation specialists, industrial engineers, and maintenance personnel as manufacturers scale production and invest in more advanced packaging operations.
