Sector Dashboard - Processing

Processing includes firms that transform raw agricultural products into food products. Employment in this sector is growing regionally, but the city has seen modest annual decline in jobs over the last decade. While it supports fewer jobs than four other food economy sectors, average wages for food processing jobs are higher than many other sectors.

*Projected job growth for the metro area is calculated at the state level.

Processing supports large numbers of low-wage jobs with low educational requirements, such as butchers and batch makers (individuals who work in food manufacturing and prepare large quantities of food or ingredients). However, there are several better-paying occupations in this sector that are attainable with post-secondary certifications, such as industrial machinery mechanics.

Animal slaughtering and processing dominates the processing sector with the most employees in the city and metro, the most jobs added, and high average wages in the sector. Coffee and tea manufacturing is another leading industry within this sector. While baking and bakery product manufacturing is lower paying, it is one of the largest industries in the region, and jobs in the metro area have replaced lost jobs in the city.

Highest Wages = Green; Most Jobs Added = Red; Most Employees = Blue

Processing firms are concentrated primarily in South Philadelphia, with some numbers based in Center City. The concentration in the south is likely due to connectivity to highway, rail, and air networks, as well as the need for industrial zoning.