High paying production jobs in Jackson, MI with no experience

The best paid production occupations in Jackson, 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 Jackson, MI run 8.2% below the national average (2024), so a Jackson, MI salary is worth about 1.09× 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 Jackson, MI

OccupationMedian, Jackson, MI · Employed

1Tool and Die Makers$63,410
Postsecondary nondegree award
$44,080 – $97,330180
2Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers$62,470
Postsecondary nondegree award
$51,880 – $89,13050
3Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$59,110
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,220 – $64,09050
4Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$51,410
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,340 – $63,32050
5Machinists$49,840
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,050 – $63,140650
6Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$49,790
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,700 – $93,140130
7Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,730
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,150 – $58,580200
8Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,380
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,320 – $58,24040
9Food Batchmakers$45,970
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,310 – $62,510190
10Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$45,640
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,460 – $62,240190
11Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$45,460
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,110 – $62,240500
12Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$44,840
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,730 – $53,320240
13Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$43,680
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,910 – $57,70040
14Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$42,920
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,330 – $57,110340
15Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$41,190
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,980 – $52,35080
16Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$41,180
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,970 – $57,72040
17Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$40,840
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,590 – $54,91040
18Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$40,700
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,710 – $55,0801,630
19Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$38,800
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,790 – $49,650110
20Helpers--Production Workers$38,350
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,280 – $45,180140
21Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$38,020
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,440 – $84,130140
22Butchers and Meat Cutters$36,910
No formal educational credential
$29,350 – $50,69060
23Bakers$36,150
No formal educational credential
$29,620 – $46,600140
24Production Workers, All Other$35,290
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,440 – $54,870220
25Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$33,470
No formal educational credential
$27,480 – $39,29080

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

#	Occupation	MedianJackson, MI	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$63,410	$44,080 – $97,330	180
2	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool ProgrammersPostsecondary nondegree award	$62,470	$51,880 – $89,130	50
3	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,110	$42,220 – $64,090	50
4	Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,410	$43,340 – $63,320	50
5	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,840	$38,050 – $63,140	650
6	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,790	$38,700 – $93,140	130
7	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,730	$37,150 – $58,580	200
8	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,380	$29,320 – $58,240	40
9	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,970	$35,310 – $62,510	190
10	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,640	$36,460 – $62,240	190
11	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,460	$31,110 – $62,240	500
12	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,840	$35,730 – $53,320	240
13	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,680	$36,910 – $57,700	40
14	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,920	$35,330 – $57,110	340
15	Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,190	$32,980 – $52,350	80
16	Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,180	$35,970 – $57,720	40
17	Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,840	$33,590 – $54,910	40
18	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,700	$35,710 – $55,080	1,630
19	Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,800	$34,790 – $49,650	110
20	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,350	$31,280 – $45,180	140
21	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,020	$31,440 – $84,130	140
22	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$36,910	$29,350 – $50,690	60
23	BakersNo formal educational credential	$36,150	$29,620 – $46,600	140
24	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$35,290	$32,440 – $54,870	220
25	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$33,470	$27,480 – $39,290	80

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

High paying production jobs in Jackson, MI with no experience

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