High paying production jobs in Connecticut

Every production occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Connecticut. 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 Connecticut run 3.6% above the national average (2024), so a Connecticut salary is worth about 0.97× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in Connecticut.

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

Find production jobs in Connecticut

OccupationMedian, Connecticut · Employed

1First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$83,150
High school diploma or equivalent
$49,660 – $123,0609,150
2Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$78,820
High school diploma or equivalent
$60,900 – $98,850980
3Tool and Die Makers$77,540
Postsecondary nondegree award
$47,770 – $100,2001,880
4Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$64,880
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,590 – $87,9801,790
5Machinists$62,130
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,900 – $82,6305,240
6Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$59,840
High school diploma or equivalent
$45,410 – $74,3102,740
7Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$58,490
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,920 – $77,830860
8Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$58,100
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,310 – $76,690740
9Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$57,090
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,500 – $94,2707,460
10Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$52,900
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,460 – $79,0501,550
11Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,230
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,470 – $61,3001,000
12Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$49,380
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,770 – $77,440690
13Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,590
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,470 – $63,5101,530
14Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,530
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,500 – $72,900650
15Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$47,900
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,680 – $76,260590
16Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,280
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,110 – $64,7702,030
17Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,120 – $67,0401,100
18Printing Press Operators$45,670
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,080 – $64,8801,610
19Helpers--Production Workers$45,260
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,270 – $59,1301,400
20Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$45,170
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,620 – $65,34010,850
21Production Workers, All Other$45,140
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,190 – $69,9602,030
22Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,080
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,520 – $63,0203,580
23Butchers and Meat Cutters$44,570
No formal educational credential
$36,090 – $60,8301,210
24Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$42,580
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,860 – $61,2702,150
25Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$39,460
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,060 – $61,1501,540
26Food Batchmakers$39,110
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,960 – $55,8701,460
27Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$37,220
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,850 – $58,590620
28Bakers$36,460
No formal educational credential
$34,010 – $47,9303,670
29Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$36,310
No formal educational credential
$34,010 – $42,0001,830
30Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials$36,030
No formal educational credential
$34,570 – $43,770740

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

#	Occupation	MedianConnecticut	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$83,150	$49,660 – $123,060	9,150
2	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$78,820	$60,900 – $98,850	980
3	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$77,540	$47,770 – $100,200	1,880
4	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$64,880	$43,590 – $87,980	1,790
5	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$62,130	$43,900 – $82,630	5,240
6	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,840	$45,410 – $74,310	2,740
7	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,490	$36,920 – $77,830	860
8	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,100	$41,310 – $76,690	740
9	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,090	$38,500 – $94,270	7,460
10	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,900	$38,460 – $79,050	1,550
11	Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,230	$38,470 – $61,300	1,000
12	Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,380	$36,770 – $77,440	690
13	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,590	$36,470 – $63,510	1,530
14	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,530	$38,500 – $72,900	650
15	Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,900	$37,680 – $76,260	590
16	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,280	$37,110 – $64,770	2,030
17	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,240	$36,120 – $67,040	1,100
18	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,670	$36,080 – $64,880	1,610
19	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,260	$35,270 – $59,130	1,400
20	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,170	$35,620 – $65,340	10,850
21	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,140	$35,190 – $69,960	2,030
22	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,080	$35,520 – $63,020	3,580
23	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$44,570	$36,090 – $60,830	1,210
24	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,580	$35,860 – $61,270	2,150
25	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,460	$35,060 – $61,150	1,540
26	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,110	$35,960 – $55,870	1,460
27	Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,220	$34,850 – $58,590	620
28	BakersNo formal educational credential	$36,460	$34,010 – $47,930	3,670
29	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$36,310	$34,010 – $42,000	1,830
30	Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related MaterialsNo formal educational credential	$36,030	$34,570 – $43,770	740

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Connecticut. 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.

More for Connecticut

Metro areas in Connecticut

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in Connecticut

Without a degree

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

High paying production jobs in Connecticut

More for Connecticut

Metro areas in Connecticut

By field in Connecticut

Without a degree

High paying production jobs in each state