Abstract
This primer provides an overview in using the Manufacturing Cost Guide:
https://www.nist.gov/services-resources/software/manufacturing-cost-gui…. It explains how to use the tool and provides documentation on how the estimates are calculated in the tool. Specifically, this tool estimates the costs in U.S. manufacturing, which can be used to help gauge the potential returns on manufacturing industry research projects. These costs are grouped into various standardized categories such as the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system along with other non- standardized costs. Version 1.0 of the tool is providing this information based upon data from 2012 onward from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and other sources. The tool outputs its results based upon static data that is embedded within the tool.