High paying production jobs in Niles, MI with no degree

The best paid production occupations in Niles, MI 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 Niles, MI run 7.6% below the national average (2024), so a Niles, MI salary is worth about 1.08× 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 Niles, MI

OccupationMedian, Niles, MI · Employed

1First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$72,720
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,830 – $139,810480
2Tool and Die Makers$61,690
Postsecondary nondegree award
$38,650 – $74,310160
3Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers$60,850
Postsecondary nondegree award
$47,180 – $80,00040
4Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$59,940
High school diploma or equivalent
$45,580 – $67,26070
5Machinists$50,430
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,230 – $63,290530
6Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,370
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,210 – $65,14080
7Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$49,590
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,650 – $59,590100
8Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$49,040
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,420 – $70,710230
9Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,250
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,640 – $58,75050
10Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$47,190
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,240 – $72,46050
11Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$45,270
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,550 – $63,31050
12Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$44,750
High school diploma or equivalent
$26,100 – $59,47050
13Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$43,870
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,510 – $63,860370
14Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$43,680
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,890 – $58,930120
15Production Workers, All Other$41,350
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,900 – $50,96080
16Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$41,090
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,900 – $51,010330
17Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$40,100
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,430 – $57,550170
18Printing Press Operators$40,070
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,490 – $63,580110
19Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$40,000
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,570 – $52,610140
20Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$39,790
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,790 – $57,98040
21Foundry Mold and Coremakers$39,450
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,450 – $48,890100
22Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$39,420
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,840 – $57,00040
23Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$39,200
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,050 – $53,110190
24Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$37,970
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,280 – $54,300980
25Helpers--Production Workers$37,870
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,380 – $46,93060
26Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$37,680
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,020 – $45,03080
27Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$36,600
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,830 – $60,650200
28Print Binding and Finishing Workers$36,320
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,240 – $53,92060
29Butchers and Meat Cutters$35,350
No formal educational credential
$29,450 – $48,70070
30Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$35,290
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,420 – $49,12040
31Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$34,540
No formal educational credential
$28,110 – $40,05080
32Bakers$33,730
No formal educational credential
$27,820 – $45,390130

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

#	Occupation	MedianNiles, MI	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$72,720	$47,830 – $139,810	480
2	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$61,690	$38,650 – $74,310	160
3	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool ProgrammersPostsecondary nondegree award	$60,850	$47,180 – $80,000	40
4	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,940	$45,580 – $67,260	70
5	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,430	$37,230 – $63,290	530
6	Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,370	$39,210 – $65,140	80
7	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,590	$38,650 – $59,590	100
8	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,040	$43,420 – $70,710	230
9	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,250	$38,640 – $58,750	50
10	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,190	$30,240 – $72,460	50
11	Structural Metal Fabricators and FittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,270	$39,550 – $63,310	50
12	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,750	$26,100 – $59,470	50
13	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,870	$34,510 – $63,860	370
14	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,680	$34,890 – $58,930	120
15	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,350	$34,900 – $50,960	80
16	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,090	$33,900 – $51,010	330
17	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,100	$35,430 – $57,550	170
18	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,070	$32,490 – $63,580	110
19	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,000	$35,570 – $52,610	140
20	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,790	$34,790 – $57,980	40
21	Foundry Mold and CoremakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,450	$39,450 – $48,890	100
22	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,420	$34,840 – $57,000	40
23	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,200	$37,050 – $53,110	190
24	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,970	$33,280 – $54,300	980
25	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,870	$33,380 – $46,930	60
26	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,680	$31,020 – $45,030	80
27	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,600	$33,830 – $60,650	200
28	Print Binding and Finishing WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,320	$33,240 – $53,920	60
29	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$35,350	$29,450 – $48,700	70
30	Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$35,290	$32,420 – $49,120	40
31	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$34,540	$28,110 – $40,050	80
32	BakersNo formal educational credential	$33,730	$27,820 – $45,390	130

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Niles, MI. 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 Niles, MI to rank honestly.

High paying production jobs in Niles, MI with no degree

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