According to the 2014 ASSEMBLY State of the Profession study, a majority of assembly professionals are happy with their jobs today. Manufacturing engineers are slightly happier than design engineers and the happiest assemblers work in the transportation equipment sector. However, location, company size and other factors can also influence happiness.

TAIPEI--Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., also known as Foxconn, said Friday it has raised the basic salary of all assembly line workers in Shenzhen, China by 16 to 25 percent since Feb. 1. The statement comes amid on-site inspections being performed by the non-profit Fair Labor Association, requested by Apple Inc.