High paying production jobs in Wichita, KS

Every production occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Wichita, KS. 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 Wichita, KS run 11.1% below the national average (2024), so a Wichita, KS salary is worth about 1.12× 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 Wichita, KS

OccupationMedian, Wichita, KS · Employed

1Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers$107,260
High school diploma or equivalent
$79,870 – $114,210370
2Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers$99,790
Postsecondary nondegree award
$59,540 – $130,110390
3Tool and Die Makers$83,890
Postsecondary nondegree award
$62,350 – $84,140440
4Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic$79,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$45,720 – $96,310590
5First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$76,030
High school diploma or equivalent
$49,310 – $132,2001,720
6Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$63,030
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,100 – $88,4503,590
7Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers$59,850
High school diploma or equivalent
$52,630 – $77,4409,460
8Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$58,770
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,570 – $76,8901,320
9Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$54,190
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,020 – $71,8901,460
10Machinists$50,540
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,850 – $74,9201,630
11Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$48,480
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,370 – $68,560960
12Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$48,190
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,470 – $69,860290
13Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$47,960
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,930 – $63,520240
14Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic$46,340
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,360 – $57,110130
15Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$46,260
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,430 – $55,700120
16Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,070
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,410 – $55,060100
17Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$45,890
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,370 – $66,690210
18Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$45,460
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,190 – $59,410620
19Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$45,280
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,110 – $56,340770
20Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,100
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,690 – $60,970710
21Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,090
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,070 – $62,8402,930
22Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$42,370
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,560 – $51,110480
23Helpers--Production Workers$41,840
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,140 – $52,500260
24Upholsterers$41,790
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,100 – $64,810140
25Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$39,790
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,200 – $49,510330
26Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$38,770
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,060 – $49,200220
27Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$38,600
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,700 – $47,510160
28Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$38,110
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,560 – $49,300150
29Butchers and Meat Cutters$38,020
No formal educational credential
$29,440 – $53,670130
30Production Workers, All Other$37,810
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,110 – $39,720160
31Printing Press Operators$36,030
High school diploma or equivalent
$27,280 – $52,560310
32Food Batchmakers$34,770
High school diploma or equivalent
$26,950 – $63,030110
33Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$31,100
No formal educational credential
$26,020 – $35,740460
34Bakers$30,630
No formal educational credential
$25,770 – $42,590240
35Sewing Machine Operators$30,590
No formal educational credential
$24,720 – $42,440220
36Print Binding and Finishing Workers$30,200
High school diploma or equivalent
$16,350 – $43,320100

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

#	Occupation	MedianWichita, KS	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and GaugersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$107,260	$79,870 – $114,210	370
2	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool ProgrammersPostsecondary nondegree award	$99,790	$59,540 – $130,110	390
3	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$83,890	$62,350 – $84,140	440
4	Layout Workers, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$79,240	$45,720 – $96,310	590
5	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$76,030	$49,310 – $132,200	1,720
6	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$63,030	$41,100 – $88,450	3,590
7	Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems AssemblersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,850	$52,630 – $77,440	9,460
8	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,770	$36,570 – $76,890	1,320
9	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$54,190	$39,020 – $71,890	1,460
10	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,540	$37,850 – $74,920	1,630
11	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,480	$38,370 – $68,560	960
12	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,190	$34,470 – $69,860	290
13	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,960	$35,930 – $63,520	240
14	Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,340	$37,360 – $57,110	130
15	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,260	$39,430 – $55,700	120
16	Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,070	$33,410 – $55,060	100
17	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,890	$35,370 – $66,690	210
18	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,460	$36,190 – $59,410	620
19	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,280	$32,110 – $56,340	770
20	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,100	$31,690 – $60,970	710
21	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,090	$32,070 – $62,840	2,930
22	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,370	$35,560 – $51,110	480
23	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,840	$31,140 – $52,500	260
24	UpholsterersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,790	$35,100 – $64,810	140
25	Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,790	$31,200 – $49,510	330
26	Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,770	$36,060 – $49,200	220
27	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,600	$31,700 – $47,510	160
28	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,110	$30,560 – $49,300	150
29	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$38,020	$29,440 – $53,670	130
30	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,810	$33,110 – $39,720	160
31	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,030	$27,280 – $52,560	310
32	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$34,770	$26,950 – $63,030	110
33	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$31,100	$26,020 – $35,740	460
34	BakersNo formal educational credential	$30,630	$25,770 – $42,590	240
35	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$30,590	$24,720 – $42,440	220
36	Print Binding and Finishing WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$30,200	$16,350 – $43,320	100

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

Other metro areas in KS

By field in Wichita, KS

Without a degree

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

High paying production jobs in Wichita, KS

More for Wichita, KS

Other metro areas in KS

By field in Wichita, KS

Without a degree

High paying production jobs in each state