High paying production jobs in Washington

Every production occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Washington. 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 Washington run 7.0% above the national average (2024), so a Washington salary is worth about 0.93× 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 Washington.

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

Find production jobs in Washington

OccupationMedian, Washington · Employed

1Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers$110,470
High school diploma or equivalent
$63,110 – $110,4704,280
2Tool and Die Makers$109,390
Postsecondary nondegree award
$58,560 – $116,8501,510
3Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$107,920
High school diploma or equivalent
$54,590 – $116,6702,270
4Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$80,800
High school diploma or equivalent
$57,720 – $106,2702,030
5First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$79,310
High school diploma or equivalent
$55,020 – $122,83014,500
6Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$67,300
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,420 – $97,1301,720
7Machinists$66,160
High school diploma or equivalent
$48,360 – $101,1106,880
8Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$64,420
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,830 – $115,24012,010
9Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$63,020
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,980 – $86,2507,720
10Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$59,980
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,830 – $108,9603,980
11Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$59,410
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,640 – $74,4102,170
12Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$56,160
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,740 – $78,7001,560
13Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$53,800
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,630 – $91,7702,270
14Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$52,980
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,990 – $61,4401,250
15Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$52,480
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,090 – $103,7306,160
16Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood$51,940
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,730 – $63,1801,720
17Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic$51,780
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,010 – $68,1701,130
18Butchers and Meat Cutters$51,670
No formal educational credential
$37,560 – $63,4402,660
19Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$51,160
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,440 – $71,5501,750
20Printing Press Operators$49,800
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,660 – $70,0302,310
21Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$49,300
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,630 – $70,3201,870
22Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$48,710
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,590 – $66,5701,350
23Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,290
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,880 – $70,0001,800
24Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$48,260
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,160 – $63,42016,990
25Production Workers, All Other$47,060
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,650 – $79,5801,550
26Bakers$46,140
No formal educational credential
$36,390 – $60,6706,270
27Helpers--Production Workers$45,450
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,020 – $60,5603,620
28Sewing Machine Operators$43,360
No formal educational credential
$37,180 – $50,1801,600
29Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$43,010
No formal educational credential
$36,600 – $52,4703,630
30Food Batchmakers$42,710
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,920 – $58,7805,700
31Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$41,700
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,310 – $57,2508,450
32Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$39,590
No formal educational credential
$35,940 – $47,3103,870

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

#	Occupation	MedianWashington	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems AssemblersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$110,470	$63,110 – $110,470	4,280
2	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$109,390	$58,560 – $116,850	1,510
3	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$107,920	$54,590 – $116,670	2,270
4	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$80,800	$57,720 – $106,270	2,030
5	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$79,310	$55,020 – $122,830	14,500
6	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$67,300	$46,420 – $97,130	1,720
7	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$66,160	$48,360 – $101,110	6,880
8	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$64,420	$40,830 – $115,240	12,010
9	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$63,020	$47,980 – $86,250	7,720
10	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,980	$43,830 – $108,960	3,980
11	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,410	$44,640 – $74,410	2,170
12	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,160	$41,740 – $78,700	1,560
13	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$53,800	$41,630 – $91,770	2,270
14	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,980	$43,990 – $61,440	1,250
15	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,480	$41,090 – $103,730	6,160
16	Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, WoodHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,940	$39,730 – $63,180	1,720
17	Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,780	$43,010 – $68,170	1,130
18	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$51,670	$37,560 – $63,440	2,660
19	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,160	$41,440 – $71,550	1,750
20	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,800	$39,660 – $70,030	2,310
21	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,300	$38,630 – $70,320	1,870
22	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,710	$39,590 – $66,570	1,350
23	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,290	$38,880 – $70,000	1,800
24	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,260	$39,160 – $63,420	16,990
25	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,060	$40,650 – $79,580	1,550
26	BakersNo formal educational credential	$46,140	$36,390 – $60,670	6,270
27	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,450	$37,020 – $60,560	3,620
28	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$43,360	$37,180 – $50,180	1,600
29	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and TrimmersNo formal educational credential	$43,010	$36,600 – $52,470	3,630
30	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,710	$36,920 – $58,780	5,700
31	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,700	$36,310 – $57,250	8,450
32	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$39,590	$35,940 – $47,310	3,870

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

Metro areas in Washington

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

By field in Washington

Without a degree

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

High paying production jobs in Washington

More for Washington

Metro areas in Washington

By field in Washington

Without a degree

High paying production jobs in each state