High paying production jobs in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

Every production occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA. 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA run 5.4% above the national average (2024), so a Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA salary is worth about 0.95× 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

OccupationMedian, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA · Employed

1Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$83,860
High school diploma or equivalent
$53,690 – $101,290450
2First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$76,510
High school diploma or equivalent
$51,360 – $105,4604,970
3Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers$75,660
Postsecondary nondegree award
$58,750 – $103,850400
4Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$64,230
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,890 – $83,440420
5Machinists$64,170
High school diploma or equivalent
$48,900 – $83,4802,090
6Semiconductor Processing Technicians$62,810
High school diploma or equivalent
$49,180 – $80,5107,290
7Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$62,050
High school diploma or equivalent
$48,050 – $83,9403,300
8Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$59,360
High school diploma or equivalent
$45,300 – $77,0401,980
9Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$58,680
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,910 – $75,290930
10Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$58,460
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,530 – $82,6203,790
11Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$57,110
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,420 – $70,960800
12Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$53,680
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,470 – $63,730490
13Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$52,640
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,180 – $83,3501,560
14Butchers and Meat Cutters$51,980
No formal educational credential
$38,860 – $61,420840
15Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$51,460
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,060 – $78,560690
16Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$51,360
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,730 – $62,040660
17Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,380
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,590 – $80,820670
18Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$49,850
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,800 – $61,620440
19Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood$49,740
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,370 – $63,220560
20Printing Press Operators$49,670
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,550 – $64,2701,030
21Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$49,530
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,710 – $61,4401,170
22Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$49,310
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,060 – $74,360590
23Dental Laboratory Technicians$48,800
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,940 – $77,310390
24Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$48,140
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,080 – $60,5703,170
25Production Workers, All Other$47,780
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,950 – $70,5401,390
26Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,470
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,870 – $64,2701,050
27Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$47,180
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,850 – $62,7406,500
28Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,720
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,480 – $72,5801,300
29Helpers--Production Workers$45,620
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,950 – $57,3401,270
30Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$45,440
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,630 – $63,5302,870
31Bakers$43,440
No formal educational credential
$34,650 – $57,0602,520
32Food Batchmakers$42,860
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,810 – $59,6301,780
33Sewing Machine Operators$41,980
No formal educational credential
$33,890 – $53,320630
34Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$39,290
No formal educational credential
$36,320 – $47,2401,050

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

#	Occupation	MedianPortland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$83,860	$53,690 – $101,290	450
2	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$76,510	$51,360 – $105,460	4,970
3	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool ProgrammersPostsecondary nondegree award	$75,660	$58,750 – $103,850	400
4	Structural Metal Fabricators and FittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$64,230	$47,890 – $83,440	420
5	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$64,170	$48,900 – $83,480	2,090
6	Semiconductor Processing TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$62,810	$49,180 – $80,510	7,290
7	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$62,050	$48,050 – $83,940	3,300
8	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,360	$45,300 – $77,040	1,980
9	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,680	$43,910 – $75,290	930
10	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,460	$39,530 – $82,620	3,790
11	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,110	$46,420 – $70,960	800
12	Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$53,680	$42,470 – $63,730	490
13	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,640	$43,180 – $83,350	1,560
14	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$51,980	$38,860 – $61,420	840
15	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,460	$39,060 – $78,560	690
16	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,360	$46,730 – $62,040	660
17	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,380	$40,590 – $80,820	670
18	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,850	$38,800 – $61,620	440
19	Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, WoodHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,740	$39,370 – $63,220	560
20	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,670	$38,550 – $64,270	1,030
21	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,530	$38,710 – $61,440	1,170
22	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,310	$44,060 – $74,360	590
23	Dental Laboratory TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,800	$35,940 – $77,310	390
24	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,140	$41,080 – $60,570	3,170
25	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,780	$36,950 – $70,540	1,390
26	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,470	$42,870 – $64,270	1,050
27	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,180	$37,850 – $62,740	6,500
28	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,720	$36,480 – $72,580	1,300
29	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,620	$34,950 – $57,340	1,270
30	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,440	$36,630 – $63,530	2,870
31	BakersNo formal educational credential	$43,440	$34,650 – $57,060	2,520
32	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,860	$35,810 – $59,630	1,780
33	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$41,980	$33,890 – $53,320	630
34	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$39,290	$36,320 – $47,240	1,050

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA. 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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Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA to rank honestly.

High paying production jobs in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

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