By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Out of all the counties to work in across Missouri, Buchanan County could be one of the best.
Out of 115 counties in Missouri, Buchanan County ranked seventh in highest average wages, a jump from the last rankings in 2021.
St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce President Natalie Redmond says one reason for the high wages in St. Joseph is the number of manufacturing jobs.
"We're closer to 30% manufacturing where most communities our size are 10 to 15%, most communities our size are going to be more heavy in restaurant retail, hospitality, and those jobs just don't pay as well, and I just don't think people think about that from our community perspective," Redmond tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr.
Another reason, Redmond says, is the amount of high skilled jobs in St. Joseph.
"It's like scientist at Nestle', R&D, or at Boehringer Ingelheim, welders and diesel mechanics, and some of those skilled jobs are paying very well these days," Redmond explains. "So, it's not the manufacturing days of the 80's, I mean its skilled manufacturing and we have a lot of those jobs which a lot of our colleagues across the state are very jealous because they're high paying jobs."
Redmond says the manufacturing line has evolved so much over time with robotics, which brings more high skilled jobs
"Where it's taking that manual labor job and changing it into a machine job, that's not taking jobs away it's just making those jobs more high skilled, which also makes them better paid," Redmond says. "So, instead of lifting that sack of wheat onto the pallet, you're fixing the machine, or you're working with the electronics on the robots."
Redmond says she believes that's also a reason these manufacturing jobs have become more attractive to kids with the idea of working with robotics.