High paying production jobs in Cleveland, OH

Every production occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Cleveland, OH. 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 Cleveland, OH run 6.1% below the national average (2024), so a Cleveland, OH salary is worth about 1.06× 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 Cleveland, OH

OccupationMedian, Cleveland, OH · Employed

1First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$74,110
High school diploma or equivalent
$48,730 – $100,5705,970
2Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders$65,660
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,920 – $71,080520
3Tool and Die Makers$64,070
Postsecondary nondegree award
$44,330 – $92,2501,280
4Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers$63,840
Postsecondary nondegree award
$46,420 – $84,280490
5Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$63,260
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,630 – $80,1901,020
6Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$62,200
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,820 – $81,8402,010
7Machinists$58,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,070 – $77,1903,980
8Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$53,370
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,070 – $61,400860
9Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$51,370
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,360 – $57,120700
10Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$51,340
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,750 – $70,280350
11Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,210
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,380 – $62,7101,850
12Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood$49,610
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,730 – $55,070330
13Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$49,070
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,790 – $80,0702,000
14Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$49,040
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,330 – $68,6403,510
15Foundry Mold and Coremakers$49,040
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,740 – $71,860330
16Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$49,020
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,970 – $76,9305,520
17Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$48,670
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,450 – $66,7104,770
18Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,350
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,350 – $72,5701,190
19Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,440
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,020 – $70,950570
20Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$47,050
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,130 – $60,640660
21Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$47,020
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,420 – $60,910400
22Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,300
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,530 – $61,2103,220
23Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$45,870
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,520 – $53,570520
24Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$45,440
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,510 – $62,1501,620
25Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,430
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,750 – $61,0301,850
26Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$45,410
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,630 – $59,5201,120
27Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$45,270
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,360 – $58,400520
28Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$44,860
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,270 – $61,8602,090
29Printing Press Operators$44,760
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,440 – $60,2301,420
30Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,630
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,280 – $62,24013,700
31Helpers--Production Workers$41,730
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,370 – $50,370510
32Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$40,840
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,360 – $60,4102,160
33Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$39,670
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,780 – $65,960370
34Production Workers, All Other$39,330
High school diploma or equivalent
$27,740 – $60,1201,650
35Food Processing Workers, All Other$38,210
No formal educational credential
$36,960 – $46,030590
36Food Batchmakers$37,830
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,010 – $50,400830
37Butchers and Meat Cutters$37,630
No formal educational credential
$27,330 – $48,9701,550
38Bakers$36,140
No formal educational credential
$25,880 – $44,4801,980
39Sewing Machine Operators$35,760
No formal educational credential
$29,580 – $42,950980
40Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$30,700
No formal educational credential
$26,710 – $39,6301,270

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

#	Occupation	MedianCleveland, OH	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$74,110	$48,730 – $100,570	5,970
2	Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$65,660	$40,920 – $71,080	520
3	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$64,070	$44,330 – $92,250	1,280
4	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool ProgrammersPostsecondary nondegree award	$63,840	$46,420 – $84,280	490
5	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$63,260	$47,630 – $80,190	1,020
6	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$62,200	$46,820 – $81,840	2,010
7	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,240	$38,070 – $77,190	3,980
8	Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$53,370	$38,070 – $61,400	860
9	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,370	$38,360 – $57,120	700
10	Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,340	$38,750 – $70,280	350
11	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,210	$37,380 – $62,710	1,850
12	Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, WoodHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,610	$38,730 – $55,070	330
13	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,070	$35,790 – $80,070	2,000
14	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,040	$39,330 – $68,640	3,510
15	Foundry Mold and CoremakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,040	$39,740 – $71,860	330
16	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,020	$35,970 – $76,930	5,520
17	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,670	$35,450 – $66,710	4,770
18	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,350	$36,350 – $72,570	1,190
19	Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,440	$39,020 – $70,950	570
20	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,050	$38,130 – $60,640	660
21	Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,020	$37,420 – $60,910	400
22	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,300	$33,530 – $61,210	3,220
23	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,870	$35,520 – $53,570	520
24	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,440	$35,510 – $62,150	1,620
25	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,430	$35,750 – $61,030	1,850
26	Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,410	$35,630 – $59,520	1,120
27	Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,270	$37,360 – $58,400	520
28	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,860	$35,270 – $61,860	2,090
29	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,760	$36,440 – $60,230	1,420
30	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,630	$33,280 – $62,240	13,700
31	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,730	$32,370 – $50,370	510
32	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,840	$34,360 – $60,410	2,160
33	Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,670	$35,780 – $65,960	370
34	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,330	$27,740 – $60,120	1,650
35	Food Processing Workers, All OtherNo formal educational credential	$38,210	$36,960 – $46,030	590
36	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,830	$31,010 – $50,400	830
37	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$37,630	$27,330 – $48,970	1,550
38	BakersNo formal educational credential	$36,140	$25,880 – $44,480	1,980
39	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$35,760	$29,580 – $42,950	980
40	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$30,700	$26,710 – $39,630	1,270

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

High paying production jobs in Cleveland, OH

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