High paying production jobs in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC with no experience

The best paid production occupations in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC that require neither a degree nor prior experience in a related job. 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC run 2.7% below the national average (2024), so a Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC salary is worth about 1.03× 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

OccupationMedian, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC · Employed

1Tool and Die Makers$62,440
Postsecondary nondegree award
$41,340 – $92,260450
2Machinists$60,210
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,880 – $76,0802,390
3Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$58,600
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,790 – $79,420790
4Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$57,110
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,770 – $73,5001,520
5Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$56,070
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,060 – $75,9103,370
6Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$52,530
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,620 – $68,2701,210
7Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$51,000
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,600 – $60,050700
8Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$49,970
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,070 – $64,180700
9Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$49,450
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,540 – $61,670800
10Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$49,400
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,720 – $69,930960
11Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,220
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,590 – $71,7701,790
12Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,120
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,570 – $68,210680
13Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$47,670
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,310 – $71,8805,060
14Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$47,060
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,970 – $58,710790
15Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,800
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,230 – $61,6501,150
16Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$45,760
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,160 – $65,0001,440
17Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$45,100
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,290 – $60,6502,040
18Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$44,790
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,330 – $60,010940
19Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,660
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,330 – $64,72013,000
20Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$44,330
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,590 – $57,6302,920
21Printing Press Operators$43,590
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,530 – $61,1601,580
22Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$42,660
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,680 – $60,270830
23Production Workers, All Other$42,620
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,550 – $61,2103,710
24Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$42,070
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,560 – $52,580680
25Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$40,640
No formal educational credential
$35,860 – $40,640530
26Helpers--Production Workers$40,600
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,080 – $52,1501,150
27Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers$40,310
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,830 – $59,700580
28Butchers and Meat Cutters$39,680
No formal educational credential
$29,110 – $48,300810
29Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$39,530
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,020 – $54,250490
30Food Batchmakers$39,260
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,960 – $59,180800
31Food Processing Workers, All Other$38,850
No formal educational credential
$36,150 – $47,000460
32Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$36,800
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,680 – $46,7501,270
33Bakers$36,580
No formal educational credential
$21,400 – $47,3002,540
34Sewing Machine Operators$34,940
No formal educational credential
$27,570 – $46,5701,640
35Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$31,150
No formal educational credential
$27,440 – $37,9801,150

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

#	Occupation	MedianCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$62,440	$41,340 – $92,260	450
2	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$60,210	$39,880 – $76,080	2,390
3	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,600	$40,790 – $79,420	790
4	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,110	$39,770 – $73,500	1,520
5	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,070	$41,060 – $75,910	3,370
6	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,530	$38,620 – $68,270	1,210
7	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,000	$39,600 – $60,050	700
8	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,970	$39,070 – $64,180	700
9	Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,450	$38,540 – $61,670	800
10	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,400	$37,720 – $69,930	960
11	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,220	$37,590 – $71,770	1,790
12	Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,120	$35,570 – $68,210	680
13	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,670	$35,310 – $71,880	5,060
14	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,060	$37,970 – $58,710	790
15	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,800	$36,230 – $61,650	1,150
16	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,760	$37,160 – $65,000	1,440
17	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,100	$35,290 – $60,650	2,040
18	Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,790	$36,330 – $60,010	940
19	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,660	$33,330 – $64,720	13,000
20	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,330	$33,590 – $57,630	2,920
21	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,590	$30,530 – $61,160	1,580
22	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,660	$31,680 – $60,270	830
23	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,620	$31,550 – $61,210	3,710
24	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,070	$33,560 – $52,580	680
25	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and TrimmersNo formal educational credential	$40,640	$35,860 – $40,640	530
26	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,600	$32,080 – $52,150	1,150
27	Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass FibersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,310	$34,830 – $59,700	580
28	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$39,680	$29,110 – $48,300	810
29	Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,530	$29,020 – $54,250	490
30	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,260	$32,960 – $59,180	800
31	Food Processing Workers, All OtherNo formal educational credential	$38,850	$36,150 – $47,000	460
32	Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,800	$31,680 – $46,750	1,270
33	BakersNo formal educational credential	$36,580	$21,400 – $47,300	2,540
34	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$34,940	$27,570 – $46,570	1,640
35	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$31,150	$27,440 – $37,980	1,150

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC. 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC to rank honestly.

High paying production jobs in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC with no experience

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