Pay, demand and where this field concentrates.
low → high: location quotient
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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Production occupations employ 8,565,760 people in the US with a median pay of $46,990 a year. BLS projects -0.4% growth to 2035 and about 867,700 openings a year.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 1,405,030 | $44,650 | $33,280 | $64,880 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | 673,430 | $74,450 | $47,130 | $108,750 |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | 597,370 | $48,570 | $35,510 | $77,860 |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 416,210 | $53,750 | $39,240 | $77,530 |
| Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | 379,060 | $43,220 | $33,390 | $60,030 |
| Machinists | 287,050 | $58,750 | $39,200 | $80,010 |
| Production Workers, All Other | 251,700 | $40,110 | $31,200 | $61,530 |
| Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers | 246,970 | $45,850 | $35,350 | $62,950 |
| Bakers | 236,200 | $37,160 | $28,120 | $49,020 |
| Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers | 198,040 | $34,890 | $27,440 | $43,190 |
| Food Batchmakers | 174,520 | $42,290 | $31,990 | $58,940 |
| Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 171,200 | $46,330 | $35,760 | $65,510 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators | 169,450 | $50,690 | $38,140 | $73,890 |
| Helpers--Production Workers | 165,700 | $39,070 | $31,140 | $53,410 |
| Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 158,740 | $48,250 | $36,260 | $74,730 |
| Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 150,470 | $44,350 | $34,170 | $61,600 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 145,700 | $38,300 | $29,980 | $48,150 |
| Printing Press Operators | 144,260 | $45,780 | $33,330 | $63,520 |
| Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders | 139,630 | $58,040 | $37,440 | $92,250 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 136,430 | $40,140 | $29,460 | $58,110 |
| Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators | 128,490 | $60,020 | $39,110 | $91,060 |
| Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 124,590 | $47,180 | $35,780 | $74,450 |
| Sewing Machine Operators | 104,880 | $36,670 | $27,860 | $47,840 |
| Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 96,130 | $50,270 | $37,300 | $70,320 |
| Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 94,920 | $48,990 | $36,790 | $70,200 |
| Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters | 77,170 | $46,680 | $35,650 | $63,720 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 69,950 | $40,130 | $33,340 | $51,090 |
| Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 67,000 | $46,550 | $36,110 | $62,600 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 65,000 | $39,680 | $32,210 | $47,950 |
| Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing | 61,420 | $43,380 | $32,110 | $56,830 |
Office and Administrative Support · Food Preparation and Serving Related · Transportation and Material Moving · Sales and Related · Management · Business and Financial Operations · Healthcare Practitioners and Technical · Educational Instruction and Library · Healthcare Support · Construction and Extraction · Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · Computer and Mathematical · Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance · Protective Service · Personal Care and Service · Community and Social Service · Architecture and Engineering · Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media · Life, Physical, and Social Science · Legal · Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
| State ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 215,430 | 1.85 | $44,250 | -6% |
| Alaska | 9,270 | 0.52 | $54,720 | +16% |
| Arizona | 127,360 | 0.71 | $47,240 | +1% |
| Arkansas | 116,140 | 1.62 | $41,120 | -12% |
| California | 744,730 | 0.74 | $47,860 | +2% |
| Colorado | 94,160 | 0.59 | $49,710 | +6% |
| Connecticut | 83,530 | 0.89 | $49,330 | +5% |
| Delaware | 19,030 | 0.71 | $39,860 | -15% |
| District of Columbia | 4,990 | 0.13 | $59,750 | +27% |
| Florida | 303,270 | 0.55 | $43,770 | -7% |
| Georgia | 308,310 | 1.14 | $43,260 | -8% |
| Hawaii | 13,640 | 0.39 | $48,690 | +4% |
| Idaho | 50,700 | 1.07 | $46,990 | +0% |
| Illinois | 412,330 | 1.23 | $47,030 | +0% |
| Indiana | 353,630 | 2.01 | $47,360 | +1% |
| Iowa | 142,180 | 1.66 | $48,600 | +3% |
| Kansas | 117,010 | 1.48 | $48,160 | +2% |
| Kentucky | 180,330 | 1.64 | $47,760 | +2% |
| Louisiana | 102,050 | 0.96 | $49,890 | +6% |
| Maine | 34,390 | 0.97 | $49,390 | +5% |
| Maryland | 66,800 | 0.44 | $47,810 | +2% |
| Massachusetts | 139,820 | 0.70 | $48,990 | +4% |
| Michigan | 417,920 | 1.72 | $46,460 | -1% |
| Minnesota | 200,570 | 1.23 | $49,290 | +5% |
| Mississippi | 98,260 | 1.53 | $41,000 | -13% |
| Missouri | 194,100 | 1.20 | $47,810 | +2% |
| Montana | 17,650 | 0.63 | $48,210 | +3% |
| Nebraska | 73,420 | 1.30 | $48,000 | +2% |
| Nevada | 55,740 | 0.65 | $47,020 | +0% |
| New Hampshire | 38,970 | 1.04 | $49,610 | +6% |
| New Jersey | 172,800 | 0.73 | $46,500 | -1% |
| New Mexico | 28,920 | 0.60 | $43,880 | -7% |
| New York | 289,040 | 0.54 | $47,610 | +1% |
| North Carolina | 318,440 | 1.17 | $44,120 | -6% |
| North Dakota | 23,910 | 1.01 | $50,750 | +8% |
| Ohio | 451,510 | 1.48 | $47,180 | +0% |
| Oklahoma | 100,600 | 1.07 | $45,850 | -2% |
| Oregon | 108,000 | 1.00 | $49,720 | +6% |
| Pennsylvania | 366,080 | 1.10 | $47,710 | +2% |
| Rhode Island | 27,620 | 1.00 | $49,360 | +5% |
| South Carolina | 179,000 | 1.41 | $46,680 | -1% |
| South Dakota | 31,240 | 1.24 | $46,220 | -2% |
| Tennessee | 261,580 | 1.45 | $45,150 | -4% |
| Texas | 686,700 | 0.89 | $44,520 | -5% |
| Utah | 103,740 | 1.09 | $46,400 | -1% |
| Vermont | 15,400 | 0.92 | $49,080 | +4% |
| Virginia | 163,860 | 0.72 | $46,750 | -1% |
| Washington | 159,640 | 0.82 | $55,380 | +18% |
| West Virginia | 34,180 | 0.88 | $46,490 | -1% |
| Wisconsin | 294,570 | 1.82 | $48,490 | +3% |
| Wyoming | 13,190 | 0.85 | $59,290 | +26% |
Highest median pay among metropolitan areas with at least 5,000 jobs in this field.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kokomo, IN | 5,830 | $75,930 | 2.98 |
| Lake Charles, LA | 7,890 | $72,890 | 1.41 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 23,050 | $61,430 | 1.02 |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | 11,130 | $61,320 | 1.28 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | 5,900 | $61,220 | 0.85 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 84,180 | $59,600 | 0.73 |
| Wichita, KS | 33,420 | $59,450 | 1.97 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 80,010 | $57,990 | 0.61 |
| Decatur, IL | 6,470 | $57,700 | 2.58 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 13,080 | $57,150 | 1.45 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | 13,350 | $57,000 | 2.58 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | 23,080 | $56,850 | 1.46 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 44,290 | $56,430 | 0.71 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | 6,070 | $55,940 | 0.88 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | 16,160 | $54,180 | 1.02 |
| Mobile, AL | 12,960 | $53,830 | 1.36 |
| Albany, OR | 5,320 | $53,720 | 2.04 |
| Reading, PA | 20,270 | $53,090 | 2.11 |
| Grand Island, NE | 5,780 | $52,670 | 2.65 |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | 15,750 | $52,600 | 2.64 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 18,960 | $52,350 | 0.77 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 15,820 | $52,320 | 0.64 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 67,410 | $51,870 | 1.01 |
| Sheboygan, WI | 12,980 | $51,850 | 3.89 |
| Spartanburg, SC | 26,910 | $51,800 | 2.96 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 9,060 | $51,580 | 1.17 |
| Fond du Lac, WI | 5,680 | $51,200 | 2.35 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | 5,750 | $51,150 | 2.02 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 32,260 | $51,100 | 0.98 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | 15,420 | $50,950 | 2.74 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | 7,690 | $50,640 | 2.57 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 41,720 | $50,510 | 0.47 |
| Greeley, CO | 10,780 | $50,390 | 1.64 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | 5,880 | $50,180 | 0.89 |
| Appleton, WI | 15,030 | $50,140 | 2.20 |
| Topeka, KS | 7,000 | $50,120 | 1.10 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 122,440 | $50,090 | 1.14 |
| Rochester, MN | 5,320 | $50,070 | 0.79 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | 9,740 | $50,030 | 2.10 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | 8,140 | $50,020 | 0.87 |
The median is $46,990 a year across the field (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
8,565,760 in May 2025.