High paying production jobs in Birmingham, AL

Every production occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Birmingham, AL. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single production job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in Birmingham, AL run 8.4% below the national average (2024), so a Birmingham, AL salary is worth about 1.09× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find production jobs in Birmingham, AL

OccupationMedian, Birmingham, AL · Employed

1Power Plant Operators$106,990
High school diploma or equivalent
$78,710 – $120,660280
2First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$75,760
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,990 – $114,4303,450
3Tool and Die Makers$64,800
Postsecondary nondegree award
$41,810 – $79,130200
4Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$59,080
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,160 – $77,130630
5Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders$57,220
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,900 – $77,500290
6Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders$56,250
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,710 – $61,130420
7Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$56,130
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,120 – $75,450550
8Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$52,330
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,230 – $60,060430
9Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$51,950
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,980 – $75,600300
10Machinists$50,780
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,690 – $76,7201,110
11Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,510
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,210 – $63,020280
12Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$49,930
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,010 – $71,6402,160
13Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$49,590
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,090 – $83,340340
14Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$45,990
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,200 – $63,510790
15Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$45,270
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,460 – $54,4801,490
16Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$45,140
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,210 – $52,210260
17Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$44,790
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,540 – $62,020410
18Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$44,290
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,100 – $60,4001,930
19Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$41,010
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,410 – $56,700220
20Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$40,530
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,710 – $52,090780
21Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$40,290
High school diploma or equivalent
$23,870 – $52,770880
22Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$40,170
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,760 – $54,0105,380
23Print Binding and Finishing Workers$40,010
High school diploma or equivalent
$27,780 – $48,120180
24Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic$39,400
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,380 – $55,760200
25Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$39,370
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,790 – $61,300580
26Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood$38,080
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,950 – $47,550180
27Printing Press Operators$37,620
High school diploma or equivalent
$24,080 – $58,300770
28Butchers and Meat Cutters$36,920
No formal educational credential
$27,620 – $48,040570
29Helpers--Production Workers$36,710
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,590 – $45,7601,240
30Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$36,180
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,040 – $56,180400
31Food Batchmakers$35,810
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,640 – $49,980380
32Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$35,480
High school diploma or equivalent
$23,040 – $47,130320
33Bakers$33,830
No formal educational credential
$23,200 – $44,360440
34Sewing Machine Operators$31,840
No formal educational credential
$23,610 – $43,380270
35Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$27,870
No formal educational credential
$22,920 – $35,560460
36Production Workers, All Other$24,290
High school diploma or equivalent
$24,290 – $42,370210

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianBirmingham, AL	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Power Plant OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$106,990	$78,710 – $120,660	280
2	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$75,760	$46,990 – $114,430	3,450
3	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$64,800	$41,810 – $79,130	200
4	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,080	$41,160 – $77,130	630
5	Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,220	$42,900 – $77,500	290
6	Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,250	$38,710 – $61,130	420
7	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,130	$37,120 – $75,450	550
8	Structural Metal Fabricators and FittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,330	$40,230 – $60,060	430
9	Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,950	$38,980 – $75,600	300
10	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,780	$37,690 – $76,720	1,110
11	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,510	$32,210 – $63,020	280
12	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,930	$38,010 – $71,640	2,160
13	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,590	$30,090 – $83,340	340
14	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,990	$34,200 – $63,510	790
15	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,270	$37,460 – $54,480	1,490
16	Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,140	$30,210 – $52,210	260
17	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,790	$32,540 – $62,020	410
18	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,290	$30,100 – $60,400	1,930
19	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,010	$31,410 – $56,700	220
20	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,530	$29,710 – $52,090	780
21	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,290	$23,870 – $52,770	880
22	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,170	$30,760 – $54,010	5,380
23	Print Binding and Finishing WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,010	$27,780 – $48,120	180
24	Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,400	$29,380 – $55,760	200
25	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,370	$30,790 – $61,300	580
26	Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, WoodHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,080	$29,950 – $47,550	180
27	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,620	$24,080 – $58,300	770
28	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$36,920	$27,620 – $48,040	570
29	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,710	$29,590 – $45,760	1,240
30	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,180	$31,040 – $56,180	400
31	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$35,810	$29,640 – $49,980	380
32	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$35,480	$23,040 – $47,130	320
33	BakersNo formal educational credential	$33,830	$23,200 – $44,360	440
34	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$31,840	$23,610 – $43,380	270
35	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$27,870	$22,920 – $35,560	460
36	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$24,290	$24,290 – $42,370	210

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Birmingham, AL. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Birmingham, AL to rank honestly.

High paying production jobs in Birmingham, AL

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