High paying production jobs in Pennsylvania

Every production occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Pennsylvania. 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 Pennsylvania run 2.4% below the national average (2024), so a Pennsylvania salary is worth about 1.02× 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 Pennsylvania.

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

Find production jobs in Pennsylvania

OccupationMedian, Pennsylvania · Employed

1First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$74,990
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,640 – $102,39028,900
2Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$66,970
High school diploma or equivalent
$48,240 – $70,3103,070
3Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$63,310
High school diploma or equivalent
$45,670 – $80,4804,660
4Tool and Die Makers$61,160
Postsecondary nondegree award
$46,010 – $78,0903,380
5Machinists$57,810
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,620 – $77,09012,380
6Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$56,630
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,710 – $81,8406,230
7Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$54,590
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,410 – $74,4207,840
8Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$53,580
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,020 – $78,6702,450
9Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$52,900
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,510 – $74,87017,850
10Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$51,780
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,910 – $70,0007,410
11Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$51,150
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,120 – $73,0802,960
12Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,550
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,270 – $71,5704,380
13Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,390
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,130 – $70,5902,150
14Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,340
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,110 – $69,9206,790
15Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$48,320
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,720 – $73,89025,870
16Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,070
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,880 – $60,7407,960
17Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,860
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,380 – $62,5908,890
18Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,650
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,540 – $60,0403,830
19Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$47,610
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,540 – $63,6103,300
20Printing Press Operators$47,010
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,850 – $63,6907,150
21Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,760
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,810 – $61,3707,000
22Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,600
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,770 – $57,26013,440
23Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$44,980
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,060 – $60,9603,310
24Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$44,480
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,780 – $62,05019,340
25Production Workers, All Other$44,290
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,440 – $58,1708,490
26Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,160
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,530 – $61,48057,780
27Helpers--Production Workers$41,060
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,110 – $54,5506,450
28Food Batchmakers$39,920
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,370 – $59,3108,160
29Butchers and Meat Cutters$38,340
No formal educational credential
$29,000 – $58,1303,540
30Slaughterers and Meat Packers$37,330
No formal educational credential
$30,130 – $45,9704,410
31Bakers$36,360
No formal educational credential
$25,430 – $50,47010,380
32Sewing Machine Operators$35,640
No formal educational credential
$28,340 – $45,5103,390
33Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$34,060
No formal educational credential
$26,970 – $41,8806,290

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

#	Occupation	MedianPennsylvania	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$74,990	$47,640 – $102,390	28,900
2	Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$66,970	$48,240 – $70,310	3,070
3	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$63,310	$45,670 – $80,480	4,660
4	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$61,160	$46,010 – $78,090	3,380
5	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,810	$39,620 – $77,090	12,380
6	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,630	$38,710 – $81,840	6,230
7	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$54,590	$40,410 – $74,420	7,840
8	Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$53,580	$40,020 – $78,670	2,450
9	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,900	$40,510 – $74,870	17,850
10	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,780	$37,910 – $70,000	7,410
11	Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,150	$39,120 – $73,080	2,960
12	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,550	$38,270 – $71,570	4,380
13	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,390	$32,130 – $70,590	2,150
14	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,340	$37,110 – $69,920	6,790
15	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,320	$35,720 – $73,890	25,870
16	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,070	$34,880 – $60,740	7,960
17	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,860	$35,380 – $62,590	8,890
18	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,650	$36,540 – $60,040	3,830
19	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,610	$37,540 – $63,610	3,300
20	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,010	$34,850 – $63,690	7,150
21	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,760	$33,810 – $61,370	7,000
22	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,600	$35,770 – $57,260	13,440
23	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,980	$36,060 – $60,960	3,310
24	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,480	$31,780 – $62,050	19,340
25	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,290	$34,440 – $58,170	8,490
26	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,160	$31,530 – $61,480	57,780
27	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,060	$31,110 – $54,550	6,450
28	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,920	$31,370 – $59,310	8,160
29	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$38,340	$29,000 – $58,130	3,540
30	Slaughterers and Meat PackersNo formal educational credential	$37,330	$30,130 – $45,970	4,410
31	BakersNo formal educational credential	$36,360	$25,430 – $50,470	10,380
32	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$35,640	$28,340 – $45,510	3,390
33	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$34,060	$26,970 – $41,880	6,290

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

Metro areas in Pennsylvania

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

By field in Pennsylvania

Without a degree

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

High paying production jobs in Pennsylvania

More for Pennsylvania

Metro areas in Pennsylvania

By field in Pennsylvania

Without a degree

High paying production jobs in each state