High paying production jobs in Fargo, ND-MN with no experience

The best paid production occupations in Fargo, ND-MN 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 Fargo, ND-MN run 9.1% below the national average (2024), so a Fargo, ND-MN 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 Fargo, ND-MN

OccupationMedian, Fargo, ND-MN · Employed

1Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators$66,760
High school diploma or equivalent
$52,010 – $83,93060
2Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$65,970
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,080 – $83,01080
3Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$63,610
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,160 – $63,610110
4Machinists$61,820
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,810 – $77,270130
5Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$61,140
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,660 – $74,230690
6Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$60,320
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,600 – $77,02070
7Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$56,080
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,270 – $73,93070
8Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$50,230
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,020 – $74,350460
9Helpers--Production Workers$50,190
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,930 – $58,77080
10Food Batchmakers$49,390
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,590 – $58,900140
11Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,000
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,570 – $63,06080
12Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,760
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,480 – $60,46080
13Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$47,610
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,630 – $69,700230
14Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$47,480
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,810 – $58,37050
15Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,230
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,230 – $61,970110
16Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$46,990
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,240 – $58,620260
17Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$46,940
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,220 – $57,190120
18Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$46,660
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,650 – $59,8402,350
19Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$46,530
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,480 – $56,060130
20Butchers and Meat Cutters$45,640
No formal educational credential
$34,580 – $61,330120
21Production Workers, All Other$44,880
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,940 – $61,850200
22Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$44,710
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,330 – $59,760290
23Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$37,470
No formal educational credential
$31,030 – $45,550280
24Printing Press Operators$37,260
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,660 – $55,410160
25Bakers$36,900
No formal educational credential
$29,870 – $46,680400
26Sewing Machine Operators$35,730
No formal educational credential
$27,930 – $50,72070

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

#	Occupation	MedianFargo, ND-MN	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Stationary Engineers and Boiler OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$66,760	$52,010 – $83,930	60
2	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$65,970	$47,080 – $83,010	80
3	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$63,610	$42,160 – $63,610	110
4	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$61,820	$47,810 – $77,270	130
5	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$61,140	$46,660 – $74,230	690
6	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$60,320	$41,600 – $77,020	70
7	Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,080	$41,270 – $73,930	70
8	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,230	$46,020 – $74,350	460
9	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,190	$30,930 – $58,770	80
10	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,390	$37,590 – $58,900	140
11	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,000	$39,570 – $63,060	80
12	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,760	$38,480 – $60,460	80
13	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,610	$43,630 – $69,700	230
14	Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,480	$44,810 – $58,370	50
15	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,230	$47,230 – $61,970	110
16	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,990	$33,240 – $58,620	260
17	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,940	$37,220 – $57,190	120
18	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,660	$39,650 – $59,840	2,350
19	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,530	$40,480 – $56,060	130
20	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$45,640	$34,580 – $61,330	120
21	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,880	$38,940 – $61,850	200
22	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,710	$36,330 – $59,760	290
23	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$37,470	$31,030 – $45,550	280
24	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,260	$30,660 – $55,410	160
25	BakersNo formal educational credential	$36,900	$29,870 – $46,680	400
26	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$35,730	$27,930 – $50,720	70

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Fargo, ND-MN. 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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Without a degree

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

High paying production jobs in Fargo, ND-MN with no experience

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