Manufacturing Jobs in Tucson, AZ
Tucson makes things that leave the country. Raytheon, the RTX missile business headquartered here, is the largest manufacturer in Arizona by headcount and anchors a supplier network that stretches from Oro Valley to the Port of Tucson. Around it sit Roche Tissue Diagnostics, which builds cancer-detection instruments and test kits at its Oro Valley campus and a newer manufacturing building on Tangerine Road in Marana, and Sion Power, which assembles lithium metal battery cells on East Elvira Road. Caterpillar moved its Surface Mining and Technology Division to downtown Tucson and now sends engineers to Pima Community College to learn machine welding and prototyping. Manufacturing is roughly seven percent of Tucson jobs, but it pays above the metro median and it is the reason PCC spent 35 million dollars on a three-story Advanced Manufacturing Building.
Current Manufacturing Openings in Tucson, AZ
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Top Tucson Employers Hiring Manufacturing Workers
Tucson manufacturing is concentrated rather than spread thin. A handful of large plants hire the bulk of production workers, and a long tail of machine shops and contract manufacturers fills in around them.
- Raytheon RTX - missile assembly, electronics build, test technicians, and production support on the south side campus. Most roles require US person status for ITAR work, and many require an active or obtainable security clearance.
- Roche Tissue Diagnostics - instrument build, reagent production, and packaging at Oro Valley and the Marana manufacturing site on Tangerine Road.
- Sion Power - cell technicians and production operators building lithium metal battery cells at the East Elvira Road plant.
- Sargent Aerospace and Defense - precision machining, hydraulics, and bearing production for aircraft and submarine programs.
- Texas Instruments - analog semiconductor operations and test, a legacy of the Burr-Brown facility TI acquired.
- Caterpillar - Surface Mining and Technology Division, plus the Green Valley proving ground where mining machines are built up and tested.
Manufacturing Salaries in Tucson
- Entry level production worker: roughly 17 to 21 dollars per hour, about 35,000 to 44,000 dollars a year
- Experienced operator, assembler, or inspector: roughly 22 to 29 dollars per hour, about 46,000 to 60,000 dollars a year
- Senior technician, lead, or setup specialist: roughly 30 to 42 dollars per hour, about 62,000 to 87,000 dollars a year
These figures are estimates and vary by employer, shift, and experience. Defense and semiconductor plants generally pay above small job shops. Swing and graveyard shifts at Raytheon and Roche usually carry a shift differential, and larger plants typically add medical coverage, a 401k match, tuition reimbursement, and paid time off.
How to Become a Manufacturing Worker in Tucson
Arizona does not license production workers, so there is no state exam standing between you and a first job. Most Tucson plants hire entry level operators with a high school diploma or GED, then train on the line. What separates candidates is a credential that proves you can read a print and hold a tolerance. Pima Community College runs the local pipeline out of its Advanced Manufacturing Building at the Downtown Campus, which houses machine tool, welding, automation and robotics, computer-aided design, and an optics and photonics lab built with Optics Valley. The CNC Operator certificate is the fastest route in. The Machine Tool Technology associate degree and the Welding and Fabrication associate degree go further. Pima County JTED runs the same tracks for high school students, and PCC has partnered with Caterpillar and DMG Mori on employer training.
Portable credentials worth having: the MSSC Certified Production Technician, NIMS machining credentials, OSHA 10 or OSHA 30, and an employer-issued forklift certification. If you want defense work at Raytheon or Sargent, understand that ITAR rules mean those jobs are limited to US persons, and clearance-eligible candidates move to the front of the line.
What the Job Involves
A Tucson production shift usually runs eight, ten, or twelve hours and starts with a safety brief and a look at the day's build schedule. You work from a traveler or router that spells out each operation, pull parts from kitted bins, run your step, and log it. In defense and medical device plants the paperwork is as important as the part, because every unit has to be traceable. You will be on your feet, in steel-toe boots, often in a controlled area where jewelry, phones, and loose sleeves are not allowed. Cleanrooms at Roche and electrostatic-safe areas at Raytheon add gowning and grounding steps. Overtime is common when a program hits a delivery milestone.
Skills Employers Look For
- Blueprint and work instruction reading, including geometric dimensioning and tolerancing
- Measuring with calipers, micrometers, and gauges
- Attention to detail and clean documentation, especially in ITAR and FDA-regulated plants
- Basic shop math and the ability to work to a written tolerance
- Reliability across rotating shifts and comfort with mandatory overtime
- Safety discipline: lockout tagout, personal protective equipment, and hazard reporting
- Willingness to pass a background check and drug screen
Career Path and Advancement
The realistic Tucson ladder starts on the line as an assembler or operator, moves to a setup or lead position after two to four years, and then splits. One branch goes technical: CNC machinist, process technician, quality inspector, or industrial maintenance technician, each of which pays more and is harder to backfill. The other branch goes supervisory: line lead, then production supervisor, then value stream or operations manager. Raytheon, Roche, and Caterpillar all promote from within and reimburse tuition, which is why a lot of Tucson plant supervisors finished a PCC degree at night while working days.
Related Careers in Tucson
Manufacturing is a broad category. These guides cover the specific roles Tucson plants actually post.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to work in manufacturing in Arizona?
No. Arizona does not license production workers, machine operators, or assemblers. Employers set their own requirements, which usually means a high school diploma or GED, a drug screen, and a background check. Defense contractors like Raytheon and Sargent add ITAR restrictions that limit many roles to US persons, and some positions require a security clearance the employer sponsors after hire.
Which Tucson manufacturer pays production workers the most?
Raytheon and Texas Instruments generally sit at the top for hourly production pay, with Roche Tissue Diagnostics and Caterpillar close behind. Small contract machine shops and packaging operations typically pay less at entry but can move you up faster because there are fewer people between you and the shop floor lead. Pay estimates vary by shift and program.
How long does it take to get trained for a Tucson manufacturing job?
You can be hired with no training at all for entry level assembly and packaging work. To be competitive for higher-paid technical roles, Pima Community College's CNC Operator certificate takes about two semesters, and the Machine Tool Technology associate degree takes about two years. The MSSC Certified Production Technician credential can be finished in a few months of part-time study.
Do Tucson manufacturing jobs require night or weekend shifts?
Often yes. Raytheon, Roche, and Sion Power all run multiple shifts, and semiconductor test at Texas Instruments runs around the clock. Swing and graveyard shifts usually carry a differential of roughly one to three dollars an hour above the base rate. Mandatory overtime is common when a defense program approaches a delivery date.
Can you work in manufacturing in Tucson without a security clearance?
Yes. Roche Tissue Diagnostics, Sion Power, Caterpillar, and most contract manufacturers require no clearance at all. Raytheon and Sargent Aerospace and Defense post a mix: some roles need only US person status for ITAR compliance, while others require a Secret clearance. Clearances are sponsored by the employer, not obtained on your own beforehand.
Ready to apply? Browse all manufacturing jobs in Tucson, AZ on TucsonHIRED and apply today.