High paying production jobs in Maine with no degree

The best paid production occupations in Maine 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 Maine run 3.0% below the national average (2024), so a Maine salary is worth about 1.03× 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 Maine.

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

Find production jobs in Maine

OccupationMedian, Maine · Employed

1First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$78,970
High school diploma or equivalent
$48,340 – $106,1302,970
2Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$64,760
High school diploma or equivalent
$49,350 – $75,790770
3Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators$62,910
High school diploma or equivalent
$49,360 – $78,880290
4Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$62,220
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,230 – $76,2201,690
5Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$61,870
High school diploma or equivalent
$49,220 – $84,730710
6Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$61,780
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,310 – $83,340740
7Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$59,660
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,880 – $62,250440
8Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$59,230
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,350 – $78,830470
9Machinists$59,160
High school diploma or equivalent
$45,760 – $78,3801,780
10Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$57,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,450 – $67,780250
11Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$57,190
High school diploma or equivalent
$45,650 – $79,800430
12Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$56,200
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,710 – $85,520680
13Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$55,540
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,420 – $80,430220
14Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$53,570
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,200 – $79,7301,800
15Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators$50,710
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,720 – $62,020320
16Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$48,150
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,540 – $61,290940
17Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$47,970
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,560 – $58,7501,490
18Printing Press Operators$47,430
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,710 – $62,150300
19Semiconductor Processing Technicians$47,270
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,120 – $62,130320
20Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$47,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,860 – $60,480580
21Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,710
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,110 – $58,630300
22Production Workers, All Other$46,470
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,400 – $68,720890
23Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood$46,210
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,230 – $56,590730
24Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$45,970
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,130 – $61,9803,910
25Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$44,370
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,400 – $55,680440
26Helpers--Production Workers$44,120
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,180 – $57,910470
27Sewing Machine Operators$43,520
No formal educational credential
$32,760 – $49,460700
28Food Batchmakers$42,260
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,320 – $56,160610
29Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders$39,850
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,450 – $48,740530
30Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$39,170
No formal educational credential
$32,590 – $58,930660
31Butchers and Meat Cutters$38,250
No formal educational credential
$34,780 – $57,670830
32Bakers$37,390
No formal educational credential
$32,210 – $46,4901,380
33Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$37,380
No formal educational credential
$34,640 – $44,190820

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

#	Occupation	MedianMaine	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$78,970	$48,340 – $106,130	2,970
2	Structural Metal Fabricators and FittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$64,760	$49,350 – $75,790	770
3	Stationary Engineers and Boiler OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$62,910	$49,360 – $78,880	290
4	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$62,220	$47,230 – $76,220	1,690
5	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$61,870	$49,220 – $84,730	710
6	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$61,780	$47,310 – $83,340	740
7	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,660	$42,880 – $62,250	440
8	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,230	$46,350 – $78,830	470
9	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,160	$45,760 – $78,380	1,780
10	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,240	$41,450 – $67,780	250
11	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,190	$45,650 – $79,800	430
12	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,200	$40,710 – $85,520	680
13	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$55,540	$39,420 – $80,430	220
14	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$53,570	$34,200 – $79,730	1,800
15	Fiberglass Laminators and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,710	$41,720 – $62,020	320
16	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,150	$36,540 – $61,290	940
17	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,970	$36,560 – $58,750	1,490
18	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,430	$37,710 – $62,150	300
19	Semiconductor Processing TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,270	$40,120 – $62,130	320
20	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,240	$37,860 – $60,480	580
21	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,710	$38,110 – $58,630	300
22	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,470	$38,400 – $68,720	890
23	Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, WoodHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,210	$37,230 – $56,590	730
24	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,970	$36,130 – $61,980	3,910
25	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,370	$37,400 – $55,680	440
26	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,120	$33,180 – $57,910	470
27	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$43,520	$32,760 – $49,460	700
28	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,260	$36,320 – $56,160	610
29	Shoe Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,850	$31,450 – $48,740	530
30	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and TrimmersNo formal educational credential	$39,170	$32,590 – $58,930	660
31	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$38,250	$34,780 – $57,670	830
32	BakersNo formal educational credential	$37,390	$32,210 – $46,490	1,380
33	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$37,380	$34,640 – $44,190	820

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

Metro areas in Maine

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

By field in Maine

Without a degree

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

High paying production jobs in Maine with no degree

More for Maine

Metro areas in Maine

By field in Maine

Without a degree

High paying production jobs in each state with no degree