High paying production jobs in Georgia with no degree

The best paid production occupations in Georgia 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 Georgia run 3.7% below the national average (2024), so a Georgia salary is worth about 1.04× 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 Georgia.

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

Find production jobs in Georgia

OccupationMedian, Georgia · Employed

1Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers$72,550
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,300 – $95,2302,950
2First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$69,170
High school diploma or equivalent
$45,680 – $102,96026,190
3Machinists$52,610
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,060 – $77,4206,090
4Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,160
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,140 – $75,9005,650
5Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$49,660
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,700 – $71,0004,330
6Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$48,930
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,970 – $67,5203,310
7Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$48,430
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,030 – $65,16013,130
8Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,410
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,550 – $67,9702,560
9Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$47,630
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,490 – $72,6102,200
10Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$47,000
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,790 – $59,8303,420
11Food Batchmakers$46,490
High school diploma or equivalent
$28,680 – $58,9604,290
12Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,450
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,530 – $69,9705,900
13Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$46,130
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,860 – $71,45019,980
14Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers$45,360
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,200 – $59,9102,530
15Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$45,080
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,400 – $63,7405,260
16Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$43,410
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,790 – $62,5206,190
17Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$43,250
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,030 – $66,9802,060
18Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$42,920
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,020 – $62,15011,380
19Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$42,280
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,930 – $58,6103,740
20Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other$42,030
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,830 – $57,3401,730
21Printing Press Operators$41,520
High school diploma or equivalent
$28,860 – $60,6904,220
22Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$40,930
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,300 – $47,3503,550
23Production Workers, All Other$39,900
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,380 – $61,73022,440
24Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood$39,860
High school diploma or equivalent
$27,760 – $50,4301,930
25Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$39,840
High school diploma or equivalent
$27,180 – $45,8501,560
26Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$39,330
No formal educational credential
$30,150 – $45,80011,480
27Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$38,930
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,920 – $44,6008,830
28Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$38,810
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,890 – $58,6502,980
29Butchers and Meat Cutters$38,540
No formal educational credential
$28,790 – $48,1904,420
30Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$38,310
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,350 – $50,83052,020
31Food Processing Workers, All Other$37,810
No formal educational credential
$28,300 – $47,9605,650
32Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$37,380
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,780 – $53,1602,280
33Slaughterers and Meat Packers$36,770
No formal educational credential
$31,690 – $41,4703,660
34Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers, All Other$36,510
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,680 – $43,9201,900
35Helpers--Production Workers$36,280
High school diploma or equivalent
$28,470 – $50,1004,480
36Bakers$35,010
No formal educational credential
$22,550 – $46,3807,350
37Sewing Machine Operators$34,790
No formal educational credential
$26,950 – $42,1003,420
38Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$30,580
No formal educational credential
$22,580 – $36,9705,150

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

#	Occupation	MedianGeorgia	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems AssemblersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$72,550	$47,300 – $95,230	2,950
2	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$69,170	$45,680 – $102,960	26,190
3	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,610	$37,060 – $77,420	6,090
4	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,160	$35,140 – $75,900	5,650
5	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,660	$35,700 – $71,000	4,330
6	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,930	$36,970 – $67,520	3,310
7	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,430	$38,030 – $65,160	13,130
8	Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,410	$37,550 – $67,970	2,560
9	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,630	$36,490 – $72,610	2,200
10	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,000	$34,790 – $59,830	3,420
11	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,490	$28,680 – $58,960	4,290
12	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,450	$35,530 – $69,970	5,900
13	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,130	$33,860 – $71,450	19,980
14	Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass FibersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,360	$36,200 – $59,910	2,530
15	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,080	$35,400 – $63,740	5,260
16	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,410	$34,790 – $62,520	6,190
17	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,250	$35,030 – $66,980	2,060
18	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,920	$30,020 – $62,150	11,380
19	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,280	$30,930 – $58,610	3,740
20	Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,030	$33,830 – $57,340	1,730
21	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,520	$28,860 – $60,690	4,220
22	Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,930	$32,300 – $47,350	3,550
23	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,900	$29,380 – $61,730	22,440
24	Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, WoodHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,860	$27,760 – $50,430	1,930
25	Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,840	$27,180 – $45,850	1,560
26	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and TrimmersNo formal educational credential	$39,330	$30,150 – $45,800	11,480
27	Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,930	$34,920 – $44,600	8,830
28	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,810	$33,890 – $58,650	2,980
29	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$38,540	$28,790 – $48,190	4,420
30	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,310	$30,350 – $50,830	52,020
31	Food Processing Workers, All OtherNo formal educational credential	$37,810	$28,300 – $47,960	5,650
32	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,380	$29,780 – $53,160	2,280
33	Slaughterers and Meat PackersNo formal educational credential	$36,770	$31,690 – $41,470	3,660
34	Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,510	$31,680 – $43,920	1,900
35	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,280	$28,470 – $50,100	4,480
36	BakersNo formal educational credential	$35,010	$22,550 – $46,380	7,350
37	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$34,790	$26,950 – $42,100	3,420
38	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$30,580	$22,580 – $36,970	5,150

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

Metro areas in Georgia

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

By field in Georgia

Without a degree

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

High paying production jobs in Georgia with no degree

More for Georgia

Metro areas in Georgia

By field in Georgia

Without a degree

High paying production jobs in each state with no degree