High paying production jobs in Rockford, IL with no degree

The best paid production occupations in Rockford, IL 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 Rockford, IL run 7.8% below the national average (2024), so a Rockford, IL 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 Rockford, IL

OccupationMedian, Rockford, IL · Employed

1Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$77,830
High school diploma or equivalent
$53,580 – $89,64090
2First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$74,280
High school diploma or equivalent
$48,840 – $99,2001,050
3Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers$64,370
Postsecondary nondegree award
$48,510 – $89,81060
4Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$60,900
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,220 – $63,77070
5Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$56,800
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,350 – $61,11090
6Tool and Die Makers$52,900
Postsecondary nondegree award
$38,830 – $74,420390
7Food Batchmakers$52,500
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,320 – $58,070430
8Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$51,400
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,550 – $61,340180
9Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$50,200
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,920 – $70,710870
10Machinists$49,700
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,750 – $72,4201,800
11Dental Laboratory Technicians$49,310
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,610 – $62,01050
12Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$48,440
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,350 – $70,310260
13Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$48,310
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,770 – $84,590100
14Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,690
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,910 – $60,570170
15Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic$47,590
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,540 – $47,59050
16Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,030
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,050 – $58,990420
17Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$46,780
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,050 – $65,5801,380
18Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$46,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,870 – $64,6401,180
19Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$45,900
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,780 – $53,68050
20Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$45,690
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,760 – $62,350250
21Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$45,670
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,670 – $66,0403,130
22Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$45,380
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,160 – $55,480250
23Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$44,880
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,210 – $59,110320
24Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$44,580
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,890 – $60,490310
25Printing Press Operators$42,920
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,680 – $64,82090
26Helpers--Production Workers$41,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,010 – $60,130100
27Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$40,990
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,200 – $51,7401,380
28Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$39,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,480 – $58,850120
29Production Workers, All Other$38,230
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,680 – $60,390290
30Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$37,840
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,200 – $52,040180
31Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$37,700
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,230 – $58,12060
32Bakers$35,870
No formal educational credential
$31,200 – $45,740210
33Butchers and Meat Cutters$35,360
No formal educational credential
$31,200 – $47,240130
34Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$34,950
No formal educational credential
$31,200 – $36,030350
35Sewing Machine Operators$34,060
No formal educational credential
$31,200 – $43,96070

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

#	Occupation	MedianRockford, IL	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$77,830	$53,580 – $89,640	90
2	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$74,280	$48,840 – $99,200	1,050
3	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool ProgrammersPostsecondary nondegree award	$64,370	$48,510 – $89,810	60
4	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$60,900	$36,220 – $63,770	70
5	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,800	$36,350 – $61,110	90
6	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$52,900	$38,830 – $74,420	390
7	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,500	$34,320 – $58,070	430
8	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,400	$36,550 – $61,340	180
9	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,200	$39,920 – $70,710	870
10	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,700	$36,750 – $72,420	1,800
11	Dental Laboratory TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,310	$39,610 – $62,010	50
12	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,440	$34,350 – $70,310	260
13	Structural Metal Fabricators and FittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,310	$35,770 – $84,590	100
14	Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,690	$31,910 – $60,570	170
15	Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,590	$37,540 – $47,590	50
16	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,030	$37,050 – $58,990	420
17	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,780	$42,050 – $65,580	1,380
18	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,240	$35,870 – $64,640	1,180
19	Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,900	$37,780 – $53,680	50
20	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,690	$36,760 – $62,350	250
21	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,670	$35,670 – $66,040	3,130
22	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,380	$36,160 – $55,480	250
23	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,880	$32,210 – $59,110	320
24	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,580	$35,890 – $60,490	310
25	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,920	$31,680 – $64,820	90
26	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,240	$32,010 – $60,130	100
27	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,990	$31,200 – $51,740	1,380
28	Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,240	$35,480 – $58,850	120
29	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,230	$31,680 – $60,390	290
30	Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,840	$34,200 – $52,040	180
31	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,700	$36,230 – $58,120	60
32	BakersNo formal educational credential	$35,870	$31,200 – $45,740	210
33	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$35,360	$31,200 – $47,240	130
34	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$34,950	$31,200 – $36,030	350
35	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$34,060	$31,200 – $43,960	70

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

High paying production jobs in Rockford, IL with no degree

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