High paying production jobs in Chattanooga, TN-GA with no degree

The best paid production occupations in Chattanooga, TN-GA that require no bachelor's degree — a high school diploma, a certificate, or an associate's degree is the typical entry. This is the narrowest cut on the site, so it is also the shortest list: where a field has only two or three such occupations, there is no page at all rather than a page pretending otherwise.

Cost of living: prices in Chattanooga, TN-GA run 8.5% below the national average (2024), so a Chattanooga, TN-GA salary is worth about 1.09× 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 Chattanooga, TN-GA

OccupationMedian, Chattanooga, TN-GA · Employed

1First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$70,660
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,980 – $104,0401,730
2Tool and Die Makers$61,720
Postsecondary nondegree award
$47,210 – $84,860260
3Machinists$51,540
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,230 – $69,870730
4Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$50,770
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,600 – $74,340140
5Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,330
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,890 – $60,670320
6Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,000
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,920 – $63,540120
7Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$49,850
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,680 – $63,420530
8Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$49,220
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,500 – $69,3201,850
9Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers$48,900
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,420 – $66,480200
10Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,160
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,780 – $60,710330
11Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$48,080
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,080 – $64,120180
12Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$47,940
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,180 – $64,370170
13Food Processing Workers, All Other$47,320
No formal educational credential
$38,010 – $47,320340
14Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,320
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,990 – $61,360120
15Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$46,820
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,350 – $66,7501,270
16Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,220
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,510 – $51,310160
17Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$45,330
High school diploma or equivalent
$24,290 – $72,8808,120
18Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$45,300
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,740 – $72,090190
19Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$44,980
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,370 – $62,040150
20Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$44,880
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,630 – $46,650220
21Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers, All Other$43,830
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,030 – $52,230150
22Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$43,770
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,940 – $56,310100
23Food Batchmakers$43,420
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,620 – $56,570250
24Production Workers, All Other$43,160
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,700 – $57,3701,580
25Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$41,980
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,030 – $60,72090
26Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$41,320
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,100 – $54,590410
27Bakers$40,880
No formal educational credential
$22,190 – $54,760790
28Butchers and Meat Cutters$40,580
No formal educational credential
$24,870 – $47,270220
29Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$40,140
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,670 – $60,370510
30Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$39,790
No formal educational credential
$27,640 – $43,250320
31Helpers--Production Workers$39,630
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,240 – $52,830430
32Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$38,890
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,890 – $49,390160
33Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$37,550
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,240 – $56,210720
34Printing Press Operators$37,020
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,620 – $57,510380
35Sewing Machine Operators$36,800
No formal educational credential
$23,540 – $45,650180
36Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$36,680
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,800 – $56,870160
37Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$35,690
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,890 – $64,500120
38Print Binding and Finishing Workers$32,220
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,550 – $37,550100
39Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$29,800
No formal educational credential
$22,740 – $35,640370
40Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$27,520
High school diploma or equivalent
$27,520 – $44,130110

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

#	Occupation	MedianChattanooga, TN-GA	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$70,660	$47,980 – $104,040	1,730
2	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$61,720	$47,210 – $84,860	260
3	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,540	$37,230 – $69,870	730
4	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,770	$38,600 – $74,340	140
5	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,330	$33,890 – $60,670	320
6	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,000	$35,920 – $63,540	120
7	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,850	$36,680 – $63,420	530
8	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,220	$37,500 – $69,320	1,850
9	Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass FibersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,900	$36,420 – $66,480	200
10	Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,160	$37,780 – $60,710	330
11	Structural Metal Fabricators and FittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,080	$40,080 – $64,120	180
12	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,940	$38,180 – $64,370	170
13	Food Processing Workers, All OtherNo formal educational credential	$47,320	$38,010 – $47,320	340
14	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,320	$34,990 – $61,360	120
15	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,820	$36,350 – $66,750	1,270
16	Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,220	$37,510 – $51,310	160
17	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,330	$24,290 – $72,880	8,120
18	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,300	$30,740 – $72,090	190
19	Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,980	$35,370 – $62,040	150
20	Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,880	$30,630 – $46,650	220
21	Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,830	$30,030 – $52,230	150
22	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,770	$34,940 – $56,310	100
23	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,420	$35,620 – $56,570	250
24	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,160	$32,700 – $57,370	1,580
25	Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,980	$37,030 – $60,720	90
26	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,320	$35,100 – $54,590	410
27	BakersNo formal educational credential	$40,880	$22,190 – $54,760	790
28	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$40,580	$24,870 – $47,270	220
29	Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,140	$33,670 – $60,370	510
30	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and TrimmersNo formal educational credential	$39,790	$27,640 – $43,250	320
31	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,630	$32,240 – $52,830	430
32	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,890	$38,890 – $49,390	160
33	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,550	$32,240 – $56,210	720
34	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,020	$30,620 – $57,510	380
35	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$36,800	$23,540 – $45,650	180
36	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,680	$30,800 – $56,870	160
37	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$35,690	$31,890 – $64,500	120
38	Print Binding and Finishing WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$32,220	$29,550 – $37,550	100
39	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$29,800	$22,740 – $35,640	370
40	Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$27,520	$27,520 – $44,130	110

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Chattanooga, TN-GA. 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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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Chattanooga, TN-GA to rank honestly.

High paying production jobs in Chattanooga, TN-GA with no degree

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