High paying production jobs in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA

Every production occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA. 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 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA run 13.6% below the national average (2024), so a Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA 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 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA

OccupationMedian, Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA · Employed

1First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$76,820
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,530 – $105,440880
2Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers$71,610
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,290 – $71,610100
3Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$66,110
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,110 – $77,67070
4Machinists$57,890
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,980 – $76,010450
5Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$55,690
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,780 – $69,130450
6Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$55,680
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,160 – $78,960110
7Dental Laboratory Technicians$48,880
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,760 – $77,52070
8Tool and Die Makers$48,730
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,810 – $65,33070
9Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$48,620
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,440 – $60,09080
10Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$47,750
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,080 – $56,540250
11Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic$47,720
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,720 – $50,910160
12Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$47,560
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,170 – $65,400140
13Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$47,160
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,980 – $81,900650
14Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,080
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,670 – $58,38090
15Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$45,440
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,390 – $104,120250
16Prepress Technicians and Workers$44,730
Postsecondary nondegree award
$38,590 – $49,31050
17Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$44,680
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,330 – $60,56060
18Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$43,960
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,510 – $55,13050
19Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$43,920
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,680 – $47,300280
20Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$43,530
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,260 – $54,620200
21Printing Press Operators$42,740
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,570 – $51,710140
22Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$40,990
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,800 – $47,61080
23Production Workers, All Other$40,840
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,330 – $62,410590
24Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$40,360
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,200 – $51,670170
25Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$39,480
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,820 – $51,1301,960
26Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$38,440
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,150 – $51,83070
27Helpers--Production Workers$37,490
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,170 – $48,820360
28Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$37,090
High school diploma or equivalent
$27,150 – $43,98040
29Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$36,670
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,880 – $55,350180
30Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$35,630
High school diploma or equivalent
$27,980 – $62,770210
31Butchers and Meat Cutters$35,430
No formal educational credential
$27,920 – $44,36080
32Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$31,380
No formal educational credential
$28,300 – $39,55060
33Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$31,110
No formal educational credential
$25,810 – $34,450150
34Bakers$28,100
No formal educational credential
$21,890 – $37,220180

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

#	Occupation	MedianKingsport-Bristol, TN-VA	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$76,820	$47,530 – $105,440	880
2	Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass FibersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$71,610	$34,290 – $71,610	100
3	Structural Metal Fabricators and FittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$66,110	$38,110 – $77,670	70
4	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,890	$35,980 – $76,010	450
5	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$55,690	$37,780 – $69,130	450
6	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$55,680	$36,160 – $78,960	110
7	Dental Laboratory TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,880	$38,760 – $77,520	70
8	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$48,730	$37,810 – $65,330	70
9	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,620	$37,440 – $60,090	80
10	Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,750	$40,080 – $56,540	250
11	Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,720	$36,720 – $50,910	160
12	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,560	$35,170 – $65,400	140
13	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,160	$34,980 – $81,900	650
14	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,080	$35,670 – $58,380	90
15	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,440	$31,390 – $104,120	250
16	Prepress Technicians and WorkersPostsecondary nondegree award	$44,730	$38,590 – $49,310	50
17	Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,680	$33,330 – $60,560	60
18	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,960	$33,510 – $55,130	50
19	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,920	$35,680 – $47,300	280
20	Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,530	$35,260 – $54,620	200
21	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,740	$31,570 – $51,710	140
22	Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,990	$36,800 – $47,610	80
23	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,840	$30,330 – $62,410	590
24	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,360	$32,200 – $51,670	170
25	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,480	$31,820 – $51,130	1,960
26	Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,440	$31,150 – $51,830	70
27	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,490	$30,170 – $48,820	360
28	Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,090	$27,150 – $43,980	40
29	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,670	$30,880 – $55,350	180
30	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$35,630	$27,980 – $62,770	210
31	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$35,430	$27,920 – $44,360	80
32	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and TrimmersNo formal educational credential	$31,380	$28,300 – $39,550	60
33	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$31,110	$25,810 – $34,450	150
34	BakersNo formal educational credential	$28,100	$21,890 – $37,220	180

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA. 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 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA to rank honestly.

High paying production jobs in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA

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