High paying production jobs in America with no degree

The best paid production occupations in America 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.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025

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OccupationMedian, America · Employed

1First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$74,450
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,130 – $108,750673,430
2Tool and Die Makers$64,050
Postsecondary nondegree award
$44,680 – $92,68056,930
3Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$60,020
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,110 – $91,060128,490
4Machinists$58,750
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,200 – $80,010287,050
5Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$58,040
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,440 – $92,250139,630
6Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$53,750
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,240 – $77,530416,210
7Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$51,610
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,200 – $79,75060,100
8Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$51,330
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,960 – $72,28052,360
9Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$50,690
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,140 – $73,890169,450
10Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,270
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,300 – $70,32096,130
11Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,990
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,790 – $70,20094,920
12Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$48,570
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,510 – $77,860597,370
13Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,250
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,260 – $74,730158,740
14Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,720
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,700 – $63,71060,840
15Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,180
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,780 – $74,450124,590
16Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$46,680
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,650 – $63,72077,170
17Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,550
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,110 – $62,60067,000
18Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,330
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,760 – $65,510171,200
19Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,850
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,350 – $62,950246,970
20Printing Press Operators$45,780
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,330 – $63,520144,260
21Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$45,760
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,630 – $63,45058,770
22Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,650
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,280 – $64,8801.4M
23Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$44,350
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,170 – $61,600150,470
24Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$43,380
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,110 – $56,83061,420
25Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$43,220
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,390 – $60,030379,060
26Food Batchmakers$42,290
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,990 – $58,940174,520
27Butchers and Meat Cutters$40,140
No formal educational credential
$29,460 – $58,110136,430
28Slaughterers and Meat Packers$40,130
No formal educational credential
$33,340 – $51,09069,950
29Production Workers, All Other$40,110
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,200 – $61,530251,700
30Food Processing Workers, All Other$39,680
No formal educational credential
$32,210 – $47,95065,000
31Helpers--Production Workers$39,070
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,140 – $53,410165,700
32Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$38,300
No formal educational credential
$29,980 – $48,150145,700
33Bakers$37,160
No formal educational credential
$28,120 – $49,020236,200
34Sewing Machine Operators$36,670
No formal educational credential
$27,860 – $47,840104,880
35Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$34,890
No formal educational credential
$27,440 – $43,190198,040

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

#	Occupation	MedianAmerica	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$74,450	$47,130 – $108,750	673,430
2	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$64,050	$44,680 – $92,680	56,930
3	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$60,020	$39,110 – $91,060	128,490
4	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,750	$39,200 – $80,010	287,050
5	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,040	$37,440 – $92,250	139,630
6	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$53,750	$39,240 – $77,530	416,210
7	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,610	$36,200 – $79,750	60,100
8	Structural Metal Fabricators and FittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,330	$37,960 – $72,280	52,360
9	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,690	$38,140 – $73,890	169,450
10	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,270	$37,300 – $70,320	96,130
11	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,990	$36,790 – $70,200	94,920
12	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,570	$35,510 – $77,860	597,370
13	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,250	$36,260 – $74,730	158,740
14	Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,720	$36,700 – $63,710	60,840
15	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,180	$35,780 – $74,450	124,590
16	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,680	$35,650 – $63,720	77,170
17	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,550	$36,110 – $62,600	67,000
18	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,330	$35,760 – $65,510	171,200
19	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,850	$35,350 – $62,950	246,970
20	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,780	$33,330 – $63,520	144,260
21	Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,760	$34,630 – $63,450	58,770
22	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,650	$33,280 – $64,880	1.4M
23	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,350	$34,170 – $61,600	150,470
24	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,380	$32,110 – $56,830	61,420
25	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,220	$33,390 – $60,030	379,060
26	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,290	$31,990 – $58,940	174,520
27	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$40,140	$29,460 – $58,110	136,430
28	Slaughterers and Meat PackersNo formal educational credential	$40,130	$33,340 – $51,090	69,950
29	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,110	$31,200 – $61,530	251,700
30	Food Processing Workers, All OtherNo formal educational credential	$39,680	$32,210 – $47,950	65,000
31	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,070	$31,140 – $53,410	165,700
32	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and TrimmersNo formal educational credential	$38,300	$29,980 – $48,150	145,700
33	BakersNo formal educational credential	$37,160	$28,120 – $49,020	236,200
34	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$36,670	$27,860 – $47,840	104,880
35	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$34,890	$27,440 – $43,190	198,040

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