High paying production jobs in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI with no experience

The best paid production occupations in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI run 0.3% above the national average (2024), so a Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI salary is worth about 1.00× 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

OccupationMedian, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI · Employed

1Tool and Die Makers$73,120
Postsecondary nondegree award
$47,900 – $92,9304,900
2Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers$65,870
Postsecondary nondegree award
$51,870 – $96,3801,030
3Engine and Other Machine Assemblers$64,820
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,920 – $77,7503,330
4Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$61,760
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,720 – $82,6401,160
5Machinists$59,310
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,650 – $78,7307,680
6Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$51,810
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,000 – $75,7604,580
7Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$51,220
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,740 – $61,590720
8Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$51,210
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,760 – $78,3504,310
9Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,790
High school diploma or equivalent
$45,620 – $61,730650
10Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,460
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,720 – $79,97011,650
11Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$49,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,000 – $77,55055,100
12Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$49,210
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,840 – $62,940740
13Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$47,880
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,820 – $81,5301,430
14Printing Press Operators$47,700
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,610 – $65,2602,100
15Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$46,880
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,180 – $65,8902,900
16Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,870
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,500 – $57,420630
17Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,360
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,510 – $61,4201,210
18Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,140
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,250 – $65,5101,010
19Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$45,400
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,240 – $69,77010,610
20Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,170
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,880 – $74,1103,030
21Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$44,220
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,050 – $71,5602,590
22Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$44,060
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,830 – $60,5101,190
23Helpers--Production Workers$42,980
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,140 – $50,8901,230
24Production Workers, All Other$39,870
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,210 – $54,9303,080
25Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$39,790
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,200 – $59,7805,280
26Butchers and Meat Cutters$39,590
No formal educational credential
$30,840 – $52,2201,540
27Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$39,300
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,580 – $51,4802,700
28Sewing Machine Operators$38,130
No formal educational credential
$30,910 – $47,5101,150
29Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$37,820
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,160 – $49,3101,620
30Food Batchmakers$37,440
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,740 – $47,1601,090
31Bakers$36,970
No formal educational credential
$29,290 – $48,8403,070
32Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$35,060
No formal educational credential
$29,120 – $44,8601,970

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

#	Occupation	MedianDetroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$73,120	$47,900 – $92,930	4,900
2	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool ProgrammersPostsecondary nondegree award	$65,870	$51,870 – $96,380	1,030
3	Engine and Other Machine AssemblersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$64,820	$41,920 – $77,750	3,330
4	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$61,760	$46,720 – $82,640	1,160
5	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,310	$38,650 – $78,730	7,680
6	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,810	$39,000 – $75,760	4,580
7	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,220	$39,740 – $61,590	720
8	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,210	$37,760 – $78,350	4,310
9	Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,790	$45,620 – $61,730	650
10	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,460	$36,720 – $79,970	11,650
11	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,240	$37,000 – $77,550	55,100
12	Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,210	$36,840 – $62,940	740
13	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,880	$38,820 – $81,530	1,430
14	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,700	$34,610 – $65,260	2,100
15	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,880	$37,180 – $65,890	2,900
16	Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,870	$37,500 – $57,420	630
17	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,360	$36,510 – $61,420	1,210
18	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,140	$35,250 – $65,510	1,010
19	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,400	$34,240 – $69,770	10,610
20	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,170	$36,880 – $74,110	3,030
21	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,220	$36,050 – $71,560	2,590
22	Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,060	$34,830 – $60,510	1,190
23	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,980	$33,140 – $50,890	1,230
24	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,870	$32,210 – $54,930	3,080
25	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,790	$35,200 – $59,780	5,280
26	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$39,590	$30,840 – $52,220	1,540
27	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,300	$34,580 – $51,480	2,700
28	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$38,130	$30,910 – $47,510	1,150
29	Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,820	$32,160 – $49,310	1,620
30	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,440	$31,740 – $47,160	1,090
31	BakersNo formal educational credential	$36,970	$29,290 – $48,840	3,070
32	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$35,060	$29,120 – $44,860	1,970

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI. 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI to rank honestly.

High paying production jobs in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI with no experience

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