Production and Manufacturing Jobs: Every Major Occupation’s Pay, Ranked (May 2025 BLS Data)
- The median annual wage for production occupations was $46,990 in May 2025, below the $50,980 median for all U.S. jobs.
- The group employed about 8,565,760 people nationwide.
- Its best-paid occupation with at least 10,000 jobs was power plant operators ($102,040); the lowest-paid was laundry and Dry-Cleaning workers ($34,890).
BLS sorts every job in the country into 22 major occupational groups. This one, “Production Occupations” (SOC 51-0000), covers the occupations below. All pay and job counts come from the BLS OEWS national data, May 2025; the typical entry education for each job comes from BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35. Use the tables to see where your job sits in its field and which nearby jobs pay more.
Highest-paying jobs in the group
Occupations with at least 10,000 U.S. jobs, ranked by median annual wage:
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Hourly median | U.S. jobs | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Plant Operators | $102,040 | $49.06 | 29,320 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | $96,710 | $46.50 | 33,160 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Gas Plant Operators | $87,820 | $42.22 | 18,030 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators | $78,620 | $37.80 | 28,250 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Chemical Plant and System Operators | $78,120 | $37.56 | 16,610 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $74,450 | $35.79 | 673,430 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers | $68,120 | $32.75 | 28,500 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | $65,380 | $31.43 | 34,020 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Tool and Die Makers | $64,050 | $30.79 | 56,930 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators | $60,020 | $28.86 | 128,490 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Machinists | $58,750 | $28.24 | 287,050 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders | $58,040 | $27.90 | 139,630 | High school diploma or equivalent |
Lowest-paying jobs in the group
| Occupation | Median annual wage | U.S. jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers | $34,890 | 198,040 |
| Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials | $35,060 | 26,120 |
| Sewing Machine Operators | $36,670 | 104,880 |
| Bakers | $37,160 | 236,200 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | $38,300 | 145,700 |
The most common jobs in the group
These are the occupations most people in this field actually hold:
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 1,405,030 | $33,280 | $44,650 | $64,880 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | 673,430 | $47,130 | $74,450 | $108,750 |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | 597,370 | $35,510 | $48,570 | $77,860 |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 416,210 | $39,240 | $53,750 | $77,530 |
| Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | 379,060 | $33,390 | $43,220 | $60,030 |
| Machinists | 287,050 | $39,200 | $58,750 | $80,010 |
| Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers | 246,970 | $35,350 | $45,850 | $62,950 |
| Bakers | 236,200 | $28,120 | $37,160 | $49,020 |
Where production jobs pay the most
States with the highest median wage for the whole group (BLS OEWS state data, May 2025):
| State | Group median wage | Jobs in the group |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $59,750 | 4,990 |
| Wyoming | $59,290 | 13,190 |
| Washington | $55,380 | 159,640 |
| Alaska | $54,720 | 9,270 |
| North Dakota | $50,750 | 23,910 |
The lowest group medians were in Delaware ($39,860), Mississippi ($41,000), Arkansas ($41,120). Part of the gap reflects living costs and part reflects which jobs in the group are common in each state.
No bachelor’s degree? The best-paid job in this group with a typical entry requirement below a four-year degree was power plant operators, at a median of $102,040 (high school diploma or equivalent typically needed).
How to use this for a raise or a move
- Benchmark inside your field. Find your occupation in the tables and compare your pay with its median and with the 10th and 90th percentiles.
- Look one step over. The best-paid jobs in a group often use the same skills as the common ones. A certificate or license can move you up a row.
- Location matters. The state table shows how much the same kind of work pays in different places.
- Base pay only. OEWS wages exclude overtime, tips and most bonuses.
Published October 29, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original chart by JobPayRaise.com using BLS OEWS May 2025 data.
Comments (1)
One more data point: the state where production jobs make up the largest share of local employment is Indiana, with a location quotient of 2.01 (353,630 jobs at a group median of $47,360). A location quotient above 1 means the group is a bigger share of the state’s jobs than it is nationally. Source: BLS OEWS state data, May 2025; location quotients are explained in the BLS OEWS overview.
— JobPayRaise Data Desk