High paying production jobs in Vermont

Every production occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Vermont. 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 Vermont run 2.0% below the national average (2024), so a Vermont 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 Vermont.

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

Find production jobs in Vermont

OccupationMedian, Vermont · Employed

1Power Plant Operators$78,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$49,110 – $127,790140
2Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers$77,980
Postsecondary nondegree award
$60,710 – $104,180140
3First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$75,540
High school diploma or equivalent
$50,080 – $100,5601,000
4Tool and Die Makers$69,300
Postsecondary nondegree award
$50,480 – $106,640140
5Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$63,640
High school diploma or equivalent
$50,820 – $81,100320
6Machinists$62,680
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,670 – $95,690220
7Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$60,890
High school diploma or equivalent
$45,650 – $74,870340
8Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$58,890
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,700 – $75,980160
9Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$57,620
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,720 – $78,800360
10Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$57,500
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,480 – $81,8201,190
11Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$53,570
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,660 – $67,750230
12Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$52,340
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,400 – $61,810160
13Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$52,220
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,670 – $74,770100
14Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,640
High school diploma or equivalent
$48,360 – $59,960300
15Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,450
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,330 – $83,040110
16Food Batchmakers$50,180
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,750 – $62,0701,000
17Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$49,360
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,160 – $65,400170
18Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$48,830
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,420 – $58,460460
19Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic$48,660
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,540 – $63,650240
20Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$46,670
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,700 – $57,330880
21Production Workers, All Other$46,570
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,000 – $79,580470
22Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$46,480
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,120 – $56,560200
23Printing Press Operators$46,460
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,040 – $70,990190
24Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$46,210
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,500 – $72,740900
25Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood$46,040
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,820 – $58,870230
26Butchers and Meat Cutters$45,580
No formal educational credential
$35,160 – $59,070370
27Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$45,420
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,680 – $62,240280
28Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$44,530
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,900 – $70,890110
29Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$43,980
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,100 – $60,4201,380
30Food Processing Workers, All Other$43,300
No formal educational credential
$33,900 – $51,090120
31Sewing Machine Operators$40,850
No formal educational credential
$29,140 – $51,630220
32Bakers$39,980
No formal educational credential
$33,260 – $55,430580
33Helpers--Production Workers$39,540
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,790 – $63,190270
34Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$37,300
No formal educational credential
$31,570 – $45,960280

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

#	Occupation	MedianVermont	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Power Plant OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$78,240	$49,110 – $127,790	140
2	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool ProgrammersPostsecondary nondegree award	$77,980	$60,710 – $104,180	140
3	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$75,540	$50,080 – $100,560	1,000
4	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$69,300	$50,480 – $106,640	140
5	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$63,640	$50,820 – $81,100	320
6	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$62,680	$40,670 – $95,690	220
7	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$60,890	$45,650 – $74,870	340
8	Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,890	$47,700 – $75,980	160
9	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,620	$44,720 – $78,800	360
10	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,500	$44,480 – $81,820	1,190
11	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$53,570	$44,660 – $67,750	230
12	Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,340	$44,400 – $61,810	160
13	Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,220	$42,670 – $74,770	100
14	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,640	$48,360 – $59,960	300
15	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,450	$40,330 – $83,040	110
16	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,180	$36,750 – $62,070	1,000
17	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,360	$42,160 – $65,400	170
18	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,830	$38,420 – $58,460	460
19	Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,660	$39,540 – $63,650	240
20	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,670	$36,700 – $57,330	880
21	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,570	$39,000 – $79,580	470
22	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,480	$39,120 – $56,560	200
23	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,460	$37,040 – $70,990	190
24	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,210	$38,500 – $72,740	900
25	Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, WoodHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,040	$36,820 – $58,870	230
26	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$45,580	$35,160 – $59,070	370
27	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,420	$40,680 – $62,240	280
28	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,530	$37,900 – $70,890	110
29	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,980	$35,100 – $60,420	1,380
30	Food Processing Workers, All OtherNo formal educational credential	$43,300	$33,900 – $51,090	120
31	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$40,850	$29,140 – $51,630	220
32	BakersNo formal educational credential	$39,980	$33,260 – $55,430	580
33	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,540	$34,790 – $63,190	270
34	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$37,300	$31,570 – $45,960	280

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

Metro areas in Vermont

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

Burlington-South Burlington

By field in Vermont

Without a degree

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

High paying production jobs in Vermont

More for Vermont

Metro areas in Vermont

By field in Vermont

Without a degree

High paying production jobs in each state