High paying production jobs in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

Every production occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN. 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 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN run 4.6% below the national average (2024), so a Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN salary is worth about 1.05× 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 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

OccupationMedian, Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN · Employed

1First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$75,880
High school diploma or equivalent
$49,200 – $105,7705,930
2Tool and Die Makers$64,270
Postsecondary nondegree award
$43,150 – $94,640680
3Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$61,460
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,570 – $75,200960
4Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$60,820
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,780 – $80,7301,770
5Machinists$57,300
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,120 – $77,5702,890
6Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$56,790
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,240 – $70,230510
7Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$54,790
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,260 – $72,1202,970
8Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$51,990
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,460 – $73,9703,160
9Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$49,640
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,080 – $75,7401,680
10Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$49,600
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,800 – $74,1701,080
11Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$49,000
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,480 – $59,950390
12Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,900
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,350 – $61,9101,410
13Printing Press Operators$48,890
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,900 – $62,2701,730
14Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,560
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,500 – $63,6501,140
15Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$48,340
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,280 – $73,8606,560
16Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,990
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,870 – $61,450810
17Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$47,890
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,250 – $59,570680
18Prepress Technicians and Workers$47,810
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,670 – $61,260380
19Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$47,500
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,230 – $60,6301,650
20Food Batchmakers$47,470
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,830 – $61,3401,590
21Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,170
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,160 – $62,4001,880
22Helpers--Production Workers$46,410
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,970 – $52,7201,170
23Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,280
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,280 – $59,760420
24Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,090
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,230 – $61,5201,310
25Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$45,950
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,320 – $59,780370
26Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$45,570
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,810 – $63,1104,770
27Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$44,900
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,860 – $63,080530
28Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,440
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,010 – $57,96011,940
29Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$43,150
No formal educational credential
$31,700 – $45,410360
30Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders$41,800
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,880 – $62,980390
31Print Binding and Finishing Workers$41,490
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,550 – $54,180420
32Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$40,850
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,940 – $59,860360
33Butchers and Meat Cutters$40,030
No formal educational credential
$27,950 – $53,850880
34Production Workers, All Other$39,570
High school diploma or equivalent
$24,870 – $55,4001,610
35Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$37,380
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,130 – $51,530370
36Bakers$35,970
No formal educational credential
$24,910 – $45,7801,430
37Sewing Machine Operators$34,680
No formal educational credential
$29,570 – $44,150820
38Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$31,560
No formal educational credential
$27,330 – $39,5401,370

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

#	Occupation	MedianCincinnati, OH-KY-IN	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$75,880	$49,200 – $105,770	5,930
2	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$64,270	$43,150 – $94,640	680
3	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$61,460	$41,570 – $75,200	960
4	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$60,820	$46,780 – $80,730	1,770
5	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,300	$39,120 – $77,570	2,890
6	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,790	$36,240 – $70,230	510
7	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$54,790	$38,260 – $72,120	2,970
8	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,990	$39,460 – $73,970	3,160
9	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,640	$37,080 – $75,740	1,680
10	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,600	$37,800 – $74,170	1,080
11	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,000	$37,480 – $59,950	390
12	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,900	$39,350 – $61,910	1,410
13	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,890	$34,900 – $62,270	1,730
14	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,560	$36,500 – $63,650	1,140
15	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,340	$36,280 – $73,860	6,560
16	Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,990	$38,870 – $61,450	810
17	Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,890	$37,250 – $59,570	680
18	Prepress Technicians and WorkersPostsecondary nondegree award	$47,810	$36,670 – $61,260	380
19	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,500	$37,230 – $60,630	1,650
20	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,470	$33,830 – $61,340	1,590
21	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,170	$37,160 – $62,400	1,880
22	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,410	$36,970 – $52,720	1,170
23	Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,280	$40,280 – $59,760	420
24	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,090	$35,230 – $61,520	1,310
25	Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,950	$35,320 – $59,780	370
26	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,570	$33,810 – $63,110	4,770
27	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,900	$35,860 – $63,080	530
28	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,440	$33,010 – $57,960	11,940
29	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and TrimmersNo formal educational credential	$43,150	$31,700 – $45,410	360
30	Food Cooking Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,800	$35,880 – $62,980	390
31	Print Binding and Finishing WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,490	$30,550 – $54,180	420
32	Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,850	$37,940 – $59,860	360
33	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$40,030	$27,950 – $53,850	880
34	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,570	$24,870 – $55,400	1,610
35	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,380	$36,130 – $51,530	370
36	BakersNo formal educational credential	$35,970	$24,910 – $45,780	1,430
37	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$34,680	$29,570 – $44,150	820
38	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$31,560	$27,330 – $39,540	1,370

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN. 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 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN to rank honestly.

High paying production jobs in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

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