High paying production jobs in Rhode Island with no degree

The best paid production occupations in Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island run 2.3% above the national average (2024), so a Rhode Island salary is worth about 0.98× 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 Rhode Island.

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

Find production jobs in Rhode Island

OccupationMedian, Rhode Island · Employed

1First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$81,650
High school diploma or equivalent
$48,080 – $133,1802,660
2Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$69,630
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,200 – $100,240430
3Tool and Die Makers$63,430
Postsecondary nondegree award
$43,750 – $83,520260
4Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$61,820
High school diploma or equivalent
$49,150 – $84,640420
5Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$61,350
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,740 – $74,270430
6Machinists$57,760
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,720 – $82,400860
7Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$57,390
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,010 – $74,630540
8Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$54,940
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,400 – $88,7101,790
9Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$50,580
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,560 – $81,0002,300
10Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,040
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,260 – $65,800160
11Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$49,850
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,280 – $71,750470
12Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators$49,260
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,450 – $64,070170
13Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers$48,800
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,190 – $77,650540
14Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,710
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,590 – $51,890240
15Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,170
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,850 – $62,280470
16Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$47,610
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,820 – $66,140190
17Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$45,950
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,970 – $55,700210
18Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders$45,930
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,460 – $59,420210
19Printing Press Operators$45,380
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,360 – $71,780510
20Butchers and Meat Cutters$45,210
No formal educational credential
$34,690 – $59,900260
21Helpers--Production Workers$44,720
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,300 – $56,370210
22Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$42,020
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,200 – $60,760430
23Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$40,590
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,200 – $60,5102,790
24Food Batchmakers$39,250
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,200 – $46,520310
25Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$38,760
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,080 – $50,220250
26Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$38,720
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,680 – $57,780680
27Sewing Machine Operators$38,670
No formal educational credential
$31,200 – $51,180270
28Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$38,580
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,770 – $61,370450
29Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$38,330
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,770 – $79,2201,100
30Bakers$38,140
No formal educational credential
$32,470 – $58,360560
31Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$37,740
No formal educational credential
$33,280 – $50,300320
32Slaughterers and Meat Packers$37,570
No formal educational credential
$36,640 – $51,190280
33Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$37,550
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,490 – $57,090820
34Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$37,400
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,360 – $44,450240
35Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$37,230
No formal educational credential
$31,200 – $43,750650
36Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials$36,390
No formal educational credential
$33,170 – $37,720170
37Production Workers, All Other$36,130
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,360 – $57,030420
38Food Processing Workers, All Other$34,770
No formal educational credential
$31,200 – $39,100160

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

#	Occupation	MedianRhode Island	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$81,650	$48,080 – $133,180	2,660
2	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$69,630	$37,200 – $100,240	430
3	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$63,430	$43,750 – $83,520	260
4	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$61,820	$49,150 – $84,640	420
5	Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$61,350	$47,740 – $74,270	430
6	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,760	$39,720 – $82,400	860
7	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,390	$44,010 – $74,630	540
8	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$54,940	$37,400 – $88,710	1,790
9	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,580	$35,560 – $81,000	2,300
10	Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,040	$41,260 – $65,800	160
11	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,850	$33,280 – $71,750	470
12	Fiberglass Laminators and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,260	$47,450 – $64,070	170
13	Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,800	$39,190 – $77,650	540
14	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,710	$35,590 – $51,890	240
15	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,170	$37,850 – $62,280	470
16	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,610	$32,820 – $66,140	190
17	Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,950	$31,970 – $55,700	210
18	Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,930	$38,460 – $59,420	210
19	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,380	$40,360 – $71,780	510
20	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$45,210	$34,690 – $59,900	260
21	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,720	$31,300 – $56,370	210
22	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,020	$31,200 – $60,760	430
23	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,590	$31,200 – $60,510	2,790
24	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,250	$31,200 – $46,520	310
25	Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,760	$32,080 – $50,220	250
26	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,720	$31,680 – $57,780	680
27	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$38,670	$31,200 – $51,180	270
28	Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,580	$37,770 – $61,370	450
29	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,330	$32,770 – $79,220	1,100
30	BakersNo formal educational credential	$38,140	$32,470 – $58,360	560
31	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and TrimmersNo formal educational credential	$37,740	$33,280 – $50,300	320
32	Slaughterers and Meat PackersNo formal educational credential	$37,570	$36,640 – $51,190	280
33	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,550	$34,490 – $57,090	820
34	Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,400	$35,360 – $44,450	240
35	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$37,230	$31,200 – $43,750	650
36	Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related MaterialsNo formal educational credential	$36,390	$33,170 – $37,720	170
37	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,130	$35,360 – $57,030	420
38	Food Processing Workers, All OtherNo formal educational credential	$34,770	$31,200 – $39,100	160

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

Metro areas in Rhode Island

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

Providence-Warwick

By field in Rhode Island

Without a degree

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

High paying production jobs in Rhode Island with no degree

More for Rhode Island

Metro areas in Rhode Island

By field in Rhode Island

Without a degree

High paying production jobs in each state with no degree