High paying production jobs in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC

Every production occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC. 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC run 2.1% below the national average (2024), so a Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC 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.

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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC

OccupationMedian, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC · Employed

1First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$79,620
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,150 – $117,7302,510
2Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$76,350
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,000 – $78,120530
3Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic$67,540
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,650 – $93,850770
4Machinists$62,900
High school diploma or equivalent
$48,880 – $76,5402,350
5Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$62,670
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,510 – $78,1803,740
6Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$59,970
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,440 – $63,4401,780
7Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$59,610
High school diploma or equivalent
$45,230 – $78,870640
8Dental Laboratory Technicians$58,720
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,160 – $85,010280
9Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$57,330
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,060 – $79,0302,370
10Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$53,880
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,280 – $92,220320
11Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$52,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,970 – $75,680340
12Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,310
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,160 – $65,710630
13Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,050
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,250 – $81,650250
14Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$47,540
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,620 – $76,340350
15Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$45,640
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,830 – $61,1303,100
16Production Workers, All Other$45,530
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,650 – $61,540800
17Butchers and Meat Cutters$41,220
No formal educational credential
$35,590 – $55,560440
18Printing Press Operators$38,650
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,840 – $61,300510
19Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$38,600
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,710 – $58,660850
20Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$36,770
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,680 – $52,190460
21Engine and Other Machine Assemblers$36,030
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,170 – $57,970360
22Helpers--Production Workers$35,900
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,440 – $50,960710
23Sewing Machine Operators$35,730
No formal educational credential
$25,810 – $45,560300
24Bakers$33,940
No formal educational credential
$28,100 – $43,7201,010
25Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$33,580
No formal educational credential
$29,470 – $39,170660
26Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$29,460
No formal educational credential
$25,810 – $36,400910

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

#	Occupation	MedianVirginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$79,620	$43,150 – $117,730	2,510
2	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$76,350	$38,000 – $78,120	530
3	Layout Workers, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$67,540	$44,650 – $93,850	770
4	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$62,900	$48,880 – $76,540	2,350
5	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$62,670	$46,510 – $78,180	3,740
6	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,970	$44,440 – $63,440	1,780
7	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,610	$45,230 – $78,870	640
8	Dental Laboratory TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,720	$38,160 – $85,010	280
9	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,330	$38,060 – $79,030	2,370
10	Structural Metal Fabricators and FittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$53,880	$42,280 – $92,220	320
11	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,240	$44,970 – $75,680	340
12	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,310	$39,160 – $65,710	630
13	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,050	$36,250 – $81,650	250
14	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,540	$36,620 – $76,340	350
15	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,640	$33,830 – $61,130	3,100
16	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,530	$33,650 – $61,540	800
17	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$41,220	$35,590 – $55,560	440
18	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,650	$29,840 – $61,300	510
19	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,600	$36,710 – $58,660	850
20	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,770	$31,680 – $52,190	460
21	Engine and Other Machine AssemblersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,030	$33,170 – $57,970	360
22	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$35,900	$30,440 – $50,960	710
23	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$35,730	$25,810 – $45,560	300
24	BakersNo formal educational credential	$33,940	$28,100 – $43,720	1,010
25	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and TrimmersNo formal educational credential	$33,580	$29,470 – $39,170	660
26	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$29,460	$25,810 – $36,400	910

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC. 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC

Other metro areas in VA

By field in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC to rank honestly.

High paying production jobs in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC

More for Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC

Other metro areas in VA

By field in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC

Without a degree

High paying production jobs in each state