High paying production jobs in Decatur, AL

Every production occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Decatur, 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 Decatur, AL run 12.8% below the national average (2024), so a Decatur, AL salary is worth about 1.15× 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 Decatur, AL

OccupationMedian, Decatur, AL · Employed

1Power Plant Operators$115,920
High school diploma or equivalent
$57,950 – $119,11030
2Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$114,470
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,650 – $131,19070
3First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$84,270
High school diploma or equivalent
$51,820 – $131,990950
4Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$82,170
High school diploma or equivalent
$79,660 – $94,120760
5Tool and Die Makers$60,410
Postsecondary nondegree award
$33,390 – $79,29030
6Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$59,920
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,500 – $112,86030
7Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$58,270
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,870 – $75,950190
8Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$58,270
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,020 – $83,04090
9Machinists$58,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$45,230 – $88,010290
10Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$56,990
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,080 – $83,810530
11Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$56,160
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,760 – $84,100120
12Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$51,810
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,570 – $58,690150
13Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$50,040
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,650 – $59,770100
14Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,620
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,320 – $48,62070
15Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$45,350
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,270 – $57,830320
16Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$45,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,730 – $83,600490
17Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$45,210
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,710 – $56,130190
18Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$45,050
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,380 – $51,02070
19Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood$44,360
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,290 – $52,000120
20Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$44,320
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,410 – $107,180220
21Food Batchmakers$43,340
High school diploma or equivalent
$28,350 – $47,48090
22Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$43,150
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,210 – $51,99070
23Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$43,120
High school diploma or equivalent
$28,800 – $52,4001,830
24Printing Press Operators$39,580
High school diploma or equivalent
$25,270 – $58,68080
25Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$37,660
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,800 – $52,000190
26Butchers and Meat Cutters$36,780
No formal educational credential
$23,810 – $50,26050
27Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$36,760
No formal educational credential
$20,200 – $41,180870
28Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$36,500
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,240 – $43,99060
29Helpers--Production Workers$36,170
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,620 – $45,840240
30Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$30,330
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,330 – $36,080360
31Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$29,800
No formal educational credential
$22,010 – $36,78050

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

#	Occupation	MedianDecatur, AL	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Power Plant OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$115,920	$57,950 – $119,110	30
2	Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$114,470	$37,650 – $131,190	70
3	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$84,270	$51,820 – $131,990	950
4	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$82,170	$79,660 – $94,120	760
5	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$60,410	$33,390 – $79,290	30
6	Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,920	$36,500 – $112,860	30
7	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,270	$43,870 – $75,950	190
8	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,270	$38,020 – $83,040	90
9	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,240	$45,230 – $88,010	290
10	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,990	$36,080 – $83,810	530
11	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,160	$37,760 – $84,100	120
12	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,810	$31,570 – $58,690	150
13	Structural Metal Fabricators and FittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,040	$38,650 – $59,770	100
14	Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,620	$39,320 – $48,620	70
15	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,350	$37,270 – $57,830	320
16	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,240	$35,730 – $83,600	490
17	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,210	$35,710 – $56,130	190
18	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,050	$38,380 – $51,020	70
19	Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, WoodHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,360	$38,290 – $52,000	120
20	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,320	$31,410 – $107,180	220
21	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,340	$28,350 – $47,480	90
22	Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,150	$36,210 – $51,990	70
23	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,120	$28,800 – $52,400	1,830
24	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,580	$25,270 – $58,680	80
25	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,660	$33,800 – $52,000	190
26	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$36,780	$23,810 – $50,260	50
27	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and TrimmersNo formal educational credential	$36,760	$20,200 – $41,180	870
28	Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,500	$32,240 – $43,990	60
29	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,170	$29,620 – $45,840	240
30	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$30,330	$30,330 – $36,080	360
31	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$29,800	$22,010 – $36,780	50

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Decatur, 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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By field in Decatur, AL

Without a degree

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

High paying production jobs in Decatur, AL

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