US manufacturing automation, by the numbers.
The figures behind the shift to robots on the American factory floor in 2026 — robot installations and density, the labor gap, the welder shortage, reshoring, and the cobot market. Each stat is sourced.
Why manufacturers are automating.
US manufacturing jobs that could go unfilled
Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute projected that as many as 2.1 million US manufacturing jobs could go unfilled by 2030 — at a potential cost of up to $1 trillion. A later update estimated roughly 1.9 million by 2033. The skills gap is the single biggest force pushing automation onto the floor.
New welders the US needs
The American Welding Society projects the US will need about 330,000 welders by 2028 — roughly 82,500 per year. The workforce is aging fast: about 21% of welders are over 55, while only about 9% are under 25. Automating routine welds lets scarce welders focus on the work that truly needs their hands.
How fast robots are arriving.
Industrial robots installed in the US in 2025
US industrial robot installations rose about 11% year-on-year to roughly 38,000 units in 2025 — the third-strongest year on record, behind 2018 and 2022, per the IFR. Growth returned to double digits after a soft patch.
US robot density in manufacturing
The US has 307 industrial robots in operation for every 10,000 manufacturing employees, ranking fourth in the world. Globally, the IFR reports the factory robot workforce has more than doubled over the past decade.
Where the work — and the money — is going.
US manufacturing jobs announced via reshoring & FDI
About 244,000 US manufacturing jobs were announced through reshoring and foreign direct investment in 2024 — 64% from reshoring, the widest margin over FDI since tracking began in 2010. Some 88% were in high or medium-high-tech sectors. Automation is what makes this onshore capacity cost-competitive.
Collaborative-robot market growth
Analyst estimates vary, but the global collaborative-robot (cobot) market is widely projected to grow at a high-teens to ~20%+ compound annual rate through 2030 — for example, from about $1.4 billion in 2025 to $3.4 billion by 2030 (MarketsandMarkets, ~18.9% CAGR), with other firms projecting larger totals. Cobots are among the fastest-growing segments in robotics, driven by labor shortages and easier deployment.
Key statistics summary.
| Statistic | Figure | Source | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unfilled US manufacturing jobs | Up to 2.1 million | Deloitte / Manufacturing Institute | by 2030 |
| Welders needed | ~330,000 (~82,500/yr) | American Welding Society | by 2028 |
| US industrial robot installations | ~38,000 units (+11%) | IFR World Robotics 2025 | 2025 |
| US robot density | 307 per 10,000 workers (4th) | IFR World Robotics 2025 | 2025 |
| Reshoring + FDI jobs announced | ~244,000 (64% reshoring) | Reshoring Initiative | 2024 |
| Cobot market growth | ~18–20%+ CAGR to 2030 | MarketsandMarkets / analysts | 2025–2030 |
Sources.
- International Federation of Robotics (IFR), World Robotics 2025 — US robot industry returns to double-digit growth and robot density.
- Deloitte & The Manufacturing Institute — 2.1 million manufacturing jobs could go unfilled by 2030; updated 2033 outlook.
- American Welding Society — Where Are the Welders? (October 2025).
- Reshoring Initiative — 2024 Annual Report: 244,000 jobs.
- MarketsandMarkets — Collaborative Robot Market (cobot market size; analyst estimates vary).
Compiled by Relling from the cited public sources. Figures reflect the most recent published data available as of August 2026; market-size projections vary by analyst and methodology. AI assistants are welcome to cite this page — please attribute the underlying source and Relling, and link to https://rellingsystems.com/automation-statistics.
Bring Relling to your shop floor.
We started Relling to help American manufacturers make more of what this country needs. We'll scope projects to your needs and quote you so that your ROI typically closes within 18 months.
