High paying production jobs in Erie, PA with no experience

The best paid production occupations in Erie, PA 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 Erie, PA run 9.0% below the national average (2024), so a Erie, PA salary is worth about 1.10× 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 Erie, PA

OccupationMedian, Erie, PA · Employed

1Tool and Die Makers$63,740
Postsecondary nondegree award
$40,760 – $72,890230
2Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$59,180
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,870 – $75,130120
3Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers$58,320
Postsecondary nondegree award
$46,710 – $75,41040
4Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$55,250
High school diploma or equivalent
$45,470 – $63,05050
5Machinists$55,120
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,980 – $83,500640
6Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$49,180
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,580 – $83,450740
7Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,120
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,220 – $62,16090
8Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$47,670
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,570 – $83,94060
9Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$47,210
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,840 – $66,960310
10Foundry Mold and Coremakers$46,290
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,290 – $63,30080
11Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$45,420
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,360 – $57,65050
12Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$45,390
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,060 – $63,050320
13Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$45,340
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,290 – $80,0702,120
14Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$45,110
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,440 – $62,07070
15Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$44,890
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,140 – $55,890310
16Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$43,690
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,600 – $82,180290
17Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$43,470
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,310 – $58,490500
18Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$43,140
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,300 – $60,15040
19Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$42,480
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,240 – $61,780740
20Food Batchmakers$42,380
High school diploma or equivalent
$28,530 – $51,730160
21Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$41,530
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,280 – $57,51060
22Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$41,430
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,160 – $58,80070
23Helpers--Production Workers$40,920
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,310 – $48,410180
24Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$40,330
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,950 – $57,030450
25Butchers and Meat Cutters$39,710
No formal educational credential
$23,680 – $52,05070
26Production Workers, All Other$38,670
High school diploma or equivalent
$23,810 – $51,000130
27Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$37,190
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,970 – $43,480490
28Sewing Machine Operators$36,990
No formal educational credential
$26,670 – $43,82050
29Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$36,870
High school diploma or equivalent
$28,070 – $49,860130
30Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$36,530
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,320 – $57,910860
31Printing Press Operators$36,090
High school diploma or equivalent
$28,560 – $57,710190
32Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$35,530
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,120 – $48,55040
33Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$35,360
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,860 – $53,67050
34Bakers$33,790
No formal educational credential
$24,250 – $47,020270
35Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$30,080
No formal educational credential
$22,830 – $38,080170

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

#	Occupation	MedianErie, PA	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$63,740	$40,760 – $72,890	230
2	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,180	$47,870 – $75,130	120
3	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool ProgrammersPostsecondary nondegree award	$58,320	$46,710 – $75,410	40
4	Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$55,250	$45,470 – $63,050	50
5	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$55,120	$39,980 – $83,500	640
6	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,180	$38,580 – $83,450	740
7	Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,120	$36,220 – $62,160	90
8	Structural Metal Fabricators and FittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,670	$36,570 – $83,940	60
9	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,210	$37,840 – $66,960	310
10	Foundry Mold and CoremakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,290	$34,290 – $63,300	80
11	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,420	$35,360 – $57,650	50
12	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,390	$31,060 – $63,050	320
13	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,340	$31,290 – $80,070	2,120
14	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,110	$37,440 – $62,070	70
15	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,890	$29,140 – $55,890	310
16	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,690	$35,600 – $82,180	290
17	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,470	$31,310 – $58,490	500
18	Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,140	$36,300 – $60,150	40
19	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,480	$32,240 – $61,780	740
20	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,380	$28,530 – $51,730	160
21	Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,530	$33,280 – $57,510	60
22	Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,430	$36,160 – $58,800	70
23	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,920	$30,310 – $48,410	180
24	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,330	$29,950 – $57,030	450
25	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$39,710	$23,680 – $52,050	70
26	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,670	$23,810 – $51,000	130
27	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,190	$33,970 – $43,480	490
28	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$36,990	$26,670 – $43,820	50
29	Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,870	$28,070 – $49,860	130
30	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,530	$29,320 – $57,910	860
31	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,090	$28,560 – $57,710	190
32	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$35,530	$29,120 – $48,550	40
33	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$35,360	$30,860 – $53,670	50
34	BakersNo formal educational credential	$33,790	$24,250 – $47,020	270
35	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$30,080	$22,830 – $38,080	170

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

More for Erie, PA

Other metro areas in PA

By field in Erie, PA

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Erie, PA to rank honestly.

High paying production jobs in Erie, PA with no experience

More for Erie, PA

Other metro areas in PA

By field in Erie, PA

Without a degree

High paying production jobs in each state with no experience