High paying production jobs in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA with no degree

The best paid production occupations in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA 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 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA run 6.4% below the national average (2024), so a Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA salary is worth about 1.07× 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 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA

OccupationMedian, Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA · Employed

1First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$73,160
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,330 – $108,6601,510
2Tool and Die Makers$64,530
Postsecondary nondegree award
$47,440 – $76,990120
3Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$61,110
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,240 – $80,320200
4Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$58,570
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,600 – $73,030250
5Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders$57,490
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,490 – $57,490110
6Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other$52,880
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,300 – $52,880140
7Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$52,630
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,860 – $74,790750
8Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$51,220
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,350 – $60,560350
9Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,450
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,610 – $63,890350
10Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,290
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,230 – $60,800190
11Machinists$49,850
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,260 – $73,080430
12Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$49,840
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,560 – $64,010370
13Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$49,090
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,110 – $72,420560
14Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$48,120
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,480 – $60,200100
15Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,000
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,970 – $60,020440
16Printing Press Operators$47,340
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,500 – $64,830450
17Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,270
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,160 – $65,05080
18Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$46,460
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,100 – $67,6901,260
19Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,380
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,410 – $60,870100
20Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,010
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,670 – $51,40090
21Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$45,180
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,830 – $80,330170
22Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$45,020
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,530 – $59,210350
23Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$44,930
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,450 – $58,080110
24Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$44,280
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,290 – $62,0501,090
25Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$42,500
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,480 – $61,950100
26Food Batchmakers$39,780
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,710 – $57,370680
27Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$39,440
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,290 – $49,70090
28Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$38,800
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,760 – $55,86090
29Sewing Machine Operators$38,630
No formal educational credential
$28,890 – $46,890290
30Butchers and Meat Cutters$38,450
No formal educational credential
$27,990 – $58,670150
31Helpers--Production Workers$38,010
High school diploma or equivalent
$28,010 – $47,610280
32Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$37,780
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,760 – $56,8103,790
33Production Workers, All Other$37,030
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,010 – $53,340460
34Slaughterers and Meat Packers$37,020
No formal educational credential
$28,620 – $37,450290
35Bakers$36,260
No formal educational credential
$25,330 – $50,950640
36Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$34,320
No formal educational credential
$28,380 – $36,300540

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

#	Occupation	MedianScranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$73,160	$46,330 – $108,660	1,510
2	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$64,530	$47,440 – $76,990	120
3	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$61,110	$44,240 – $80,320	200
4	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,570	$41,600 – $73,030	250
5	Food Cooking Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,490	$34,490 – $57,490	110
6	Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,880	$37,300 – $52,880	140
7	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,630	$37,860 – $74,790	750
8	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,220	$37,350 – $60,560	350
9	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,450	$34,610 – $63,890	350
10	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,290	$37,230 – $60,800	190
11	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,850	$32,260 – $73,080	430
12	Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,840	$39,560 – $64,010	370
13	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,090	$40,110 – $72,420	560
14	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,120	$38,480 – $60,200	100
15	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,000	$37,970 – $60,020	440
16	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,340	$35,500 – $64,830	450
17	Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,270	$39,160 – $65,050	80
18	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,460	$35,100 – $67,690	1,260
19	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,380	$30,410 – $60,870	100
20	Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,010	$40,670 – $51,400	90
21	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,180	$33,830 – $80,330	170
22	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,020	$34,530 – $59,210	350
23	Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,930	$38,450 – $58,080	110
24	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,280	$34,290 – $62,050	1,090
25	Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,500	$35,480 – $61,950	100
26	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,780	$31,710 – $57,370	680
27	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,440	$35,290 – $49,700	90
28	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,800	$30,760 – $55,860	90
29	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$38,630	$28,890 – $46,890	290
30	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$38,450	$27,990 – $58,670	150
31	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,010	$28,010 – $47,610	280
32	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,780	$29,760 – $56,810	3,790
33	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,030	$32,010 – $53,340	460
34	Slaughterers and Meat PackersNo formal educational credential	$37,020	$28,620 – $37,450	290
35	BakersNo formal educational credential	$36,260	$25,330 – $50,950	640
36	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$34,320	$28,380 – $36,300	540

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA. 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 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA to rank honestly.

High paying production jobs in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA with no degree

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