High paying production jobs in Columbus, IN with no experience

The best paid production occupations in Columbus, IN 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 Columbus, IN run 7.0% below the national average (2024), so a Columbus, IN salary is worth about 1.08× 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 Columbus, IN

OccupationMedian, Columbus, IN · Employed

1Tool and Die Makers$71,180
Postsecondary nondegree award
$43,440 – $92,940180
2Machinists$61,230
High school diploma or equivalent
$48,640 – $74,7201,470
3Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers$57,770
Postsecondary nondegree award
$49,220 – $82,42040
4Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$52,060
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,410 – $59,900140
5Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$49,320
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,720 – $66,790310
6Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$49,030
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,900 – $75,860900
7Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$48,590
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,770 – $58,810610
8Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,880
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,790 – $57,510260
9Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,320
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,890 – $60,090440
10Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$46,950
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,240 – $59,6602,980
11Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$44,620
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,300 – $48,350190
12Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$43,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,850 – $55,830120
13Helpers--Production Workers$42,210
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,180 – $46,060100
14Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$41,890
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,620 – $66,14050
15Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$39,300
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,210 – $60,230230
16Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$38,420
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,230 – $58,450330
17Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$38,280
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,280 – $38,290240
18Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$37,450
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,450 – $52,62060
19Butchers and Meat Cutters$36,650
No formal educational credential
$32,280 – $47,16040
20Bakers$35,700
No formal educational credential
$24,140 – $45,92040
21Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$34,650
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,090 – $57,240180
22Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$29,140
No formal educational credential
$23,900 – $35,57060

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

#	Occupation	MedianColumbus, IN	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$71,180	$43,440 – $92,940	180
2	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$61,230	$48,640 – $74,720	1,470
3	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool ProgrammersPostsecondary nondegree award	$57,770	$49,220 – $82,420	40
4	Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,060	$39,410 – $59,900	140
5	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,320	$36,720 – $66,790	310
6	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,030	$35,900 – $75,860	900
7	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,590	$39,770 – $58,810	610
8	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,880	$34,790 – $57,510	260
9	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,320	$34,890 – $60,090	440
10	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,950	$36,240 – $59,660	2,980
11	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,620	$34,300 – $48,350	190
12	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,240	$33,850 – $55,830	120
13	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,210	$37,180 – $46,060	100
14	Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,890	$36,620 – $66,140	50
15	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,300	$32,210 – $60,230	230
16	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,420	$30,230 – $58,450	330
17	Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,280	$38,280 – $38,290	240
18	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,450	$37,450 – $52,620	60
19	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$36,650	$32,280 – $47,160	40
20	BakersNo formal educational credential	$35,700	$24,140 – $45,920	40
21	Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$34,650	$32,090 – $57,240	180
22	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$29,140	$23,900 – $35,570	60

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

High paying production jobs in Columbus, IN with no experience

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