High paying production jobs in Fort Smith, AR-OK

Every production occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Fort Smith, AR-OK. 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 Fort Smith, AR-OK run 14.1% below the national average (2024), so a Fort Smith, AR-OK salary is worth about 1.16× 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 Fort Smith, AR-OK

OccupationMedian, Fort Smith, AR-OK · Employed

1Gas Plant Operators$74,230
High school diploma or equivalent
$61,240 – $105,51050
2First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$62,260
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,550 – $92,7201,100
3Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$56,520
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,700 – $57,980380
4Printing Press Operators$56,350
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,750 – $80,340180
5Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$55,380
High school diploma or equivalent
$49,030 – $60,800150
6Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers$54,500
Postsecondary nondegree award
$46,730 – $75,93030
7Machinists$50,560
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,240 – $63,770230
8Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,850
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,280 – $56,360200
9Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$47,800
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,290 – $51,650120
10Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$47,780
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,060 – $51,44050
11Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$46,630
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,900 – $58,140400
12Production Workers, All Other$45,850
High school diploma or equivalent
$28,720 – $57,480340
13Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$45,380
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,290 – $51,38040
14Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$45,090
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,340 – $63,510110
15Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$44,960
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,280 – $64,920240
16Food Batchmakers$44,470
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,550 – $48,520250
17Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$43,450
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,110 – $49,93040
18Food Processing Workers, All Other$43,160
No formal educational credential
$35,140 – $47,190230
19Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$41,910
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,710 – $47,420140
20Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$41,440
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,920 – $59,770640
21Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$40,830
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,280 – $56,630190
22Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$40,820
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,500 – $78,09040
23Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$40,560
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,780 – $50,790510
24Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$40,480
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,250 – $50,200200
25Slaughterers and Meat Packers$38,800
No formal educational credential
$34,360 – $42,650300
26Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$38,650
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,670 – $49,26030
27Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners$38,410
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,760 – $39,37030
28Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$38,100
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,580 – $49,77040
29Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$37,590
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,040 – $45,10040
30Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$37,460
No formal educational credential
$30,640 – $39,0302,080
31Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$36,930
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,160 – $51,4101,220
32Helpers--Production Workers$34,860
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,270 – $45,460550
33Butchers and Meat Cutters$34,340
No formal educational credential
$26,970 – $45,190100
34Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood$34,340
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,660 – $47,36070
35Bakers$29,520
No formal educational credential
$24,670 – $34,900170
36Sewing Machine Operators$27,810
No formal educational credential
$27,500 – $37,40070
37Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$27,780
No formal educational credential
$23,200 – $29,940130

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

#	Occupation	MedianFort Smith, AR-OK	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Gas Plant OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$74,230	$61,240 – $105,510	50
2	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$62,260	$42,550 – $92,720	1,100
3	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,520	$37,700 – $57,980	380
4	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,350	$31,750 – $80,340	180
5	Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$55,380	$49,030 – $60,800	150
6	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool ProgrammersPostsecondary nondegree award	$54,500	$46,730 – $75,930	30
7	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,560	$39,240 – $63,770	230
8	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,850	$31,280 – $56,360	200
9	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,800	$34,290 – $51,650	120
10	Structural Metal Fabricators and FittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,780	$35,060 – $51,440	50
11	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,630	$36,900 – $58,140	400
12	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,850	$28,720 – $57,480	340
13	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,380	$36,290 – $51,380	40
14	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,090	$34,340 – $63,510	110
15	Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,960	$38,280 – $64,920	240
16	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,470	$34,550 – $48,520	250
17	Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,450	$40,110 – $49,930	40
18	Food Processing Workers, All OtherNo formal educational credential	$43,160	$35,140 – $47,190	230
19	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,910	$32,710 – $47,420	140
20	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,440	$33,920 – $59,770	640
21	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,830	$32,280 – $56,630	190
22	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,820	$31,500 – $78,090	40
23	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,560	$30,780 – $50,790	510
24	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,480	$35,250 – $50,200	200
25	Slaughterers and Meat PackersNo formal educational credential	$38,800	$34,360 – $42,650	300
26	Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,650	$31,670 – $49,260	30
27	Tool Grinders, Filers, and SharpenersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,410	$30,760 – $39,370	30
28	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,100	$35,580 – $49,770	40
29	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,590	$32,040 – $45,100	40
30	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and TrimmersNo formal educational credential	$37,460	$30,640 – $39,030	2,080
31	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,930	$30,160 – $51,410	1,220
32	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$34,860	$34,270 – $45,460	550
33	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$34,340	$26,970 – $45,190	100
34	Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, WoodHigh school diploma or equivalent	$34,340	$30,660 – $47,360	70
35	BakersNo formal educational credential	$29,520	$24,670 – $34,900	170
36	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$27,810	$27,500 – $37,400	70
37	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$27,780	$23,200 – $29,940	130

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Fort Smith, AR-OK. 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 Fort Smith, AR-OK to rank honestly.

High paying production jobs in Fort Smith, AR-OK

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