New data shows that during the pandemic, the medtech industry created more, better-paying jobs than the manufacturing sector overall. AdvaMed commissioned Macro Policy Advisors to study the industry’s jobs footprint and economic impact on states, and the results were overwhelmingly positive for Americans.

Sherrie Trigg, Editor and Director of Medical Content, MDB

The new economic research report determined that the medtech industry has had a positive economic impact in terms of both compensation and the number of jobs created.

Medtech directly employed 397,000 people, at an average annual salary of $88,096 — 49 percent higher than the average across all industries and 18 percent higher than the corresponding premium of all manufacturing jobs.

Every five medtech industry jobs creates an additional seven jobs.

Of the nearly 15,000 medtech establishments, 94 percent were small businesses that employed fewer than 100 employees. Economists also found that medtech is responsible for the creation of nearly 2 million jobs in the U.S. economy.

“The COVID-19 pandemic was a stark reminder of how critical medtech is to protecting patients and improving quality of life,” says Scott Whitaker, president and CEO of AdvaMed. “This new data demonstrates that the industry creates not only lifesaving medical breakthroughs but also economic benefits to workers and state governments.”

Medtech revenues had multiplier effects on state revenues and state payroll. The report found that every $1.00 in medtech revenues generates roughly an additional $0.74 in total state revenues, while every $1.00 in medtech payroll led to an additional $0.94 in total state payroll. These economic benefits are particularly important to states experiencing reduced tax revenues caused by lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic. For example:

Medtech in California resulted in more than $32 million in state revenue and nearly $7 million toward state payroll, indirectly generating more than $56 million in state revenues and more than $13 million toward state payroll.

Medtech in Minnesota led to $8 million in revenues, resulting in $13.8 million in indirect revenues, and $1.9 million in state payroll taxes, which generated $3 million in payroll taxes across the state.

New York’s medtech industry created $5.2 million in revenues, which resulted in $8.3 million in state revenues, and more than $1.1 million in state payroll taxes directly — leading to a total effect of $2 million in state payroll taxes.

“Thanks to medtech, patients spend fewer days in the hospital and live longer, better-quality lives, while workers in the industry earn higher salaries than most industries,” says Whitaker. “These benefits should remain top of mind for policymakers exploring changes to the law that would affect our industry.”

Sherrie Trigg

Editor and Director of Medical Content