High paying production jobs in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI with no experience

The best paid production occupations in Kalamazoo-Portage, 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 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI run 5.2% below the national average (2024), so a Kalamazoo-Portage, MI salary is worth about 1.05× 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 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI

OccupationMedian, Kalamazoo-Portage, MI · Employed

1Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$63,970
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,910 – $63,97050
2Tool and Die Makers$61,940
Postsecondary nondegree award
$40,740 – $77,570120
3Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers$61,870
Postsecondary nondegree award
$47,020 – $92,07070
4Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$60,200
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,650 – $69,18050
5Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$51,600
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,590 – $64,260100
6Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$51,360
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,090 – $62,930370
7Machinists$49,440
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,030 – $75,210640
8Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$49,400
High school diploma or equivalent
$49,400 – $80,250600
9Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$48,800
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,350 – $59,870510
10Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$47,560
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,000 – $62,560250
11Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$47,510
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,270 – $60,450370
12Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$47,440
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,670 – $64,280880
13Printing Press Operators$47,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,110 – $62,270240
14Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,320
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,830 – $60,89090
15Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$44,850
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,640 – $72,540150
16Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$44,780
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,710 – $77,17050
17Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$44,440
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,350 – $50,160280
18Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$44,100
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,240 – $48,850120
19Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$42,410
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,040 – $81,160180
20Butchers and Meat Cutters$41,740
No formal educational credential
$30,270 – $63,59090
21Helpers--Production Workers$41,090
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,410 – $50,05090
22Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$40,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,700 – $51,060170
23Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$38,880
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,220 – $48,4503,090
24Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$38,820
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,680 – $58,390660
25Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$38,500
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,430 – $50,35090
26Food Batchmakers$38,420
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,230 – $48,670150
27Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$37,090
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,880 – $48,23090
28Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$36,470
No formal educational credential
$28,710 – $42,900200
29Production Workers, All Other$35,620
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,060 – $46,450260
30Bakers$35,430
No formal educational credential
$29,870 – $46,530210
31Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$35,110
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,260 – $48,880140

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

#	Occupation	MedianKalamazoo-Portage, MI	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$63,970	$37,910 – $63,970	50
2	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$61,940	$40,740 – $77,570	120
3	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool ProgrammersPostsecondary nondegree award	$61,870	$47,020 – $92,070	70
4	Structural Metal Fabricators and FittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$60,200	$38,650 – $69,180	50
5	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,600	$37,590 – $64,260	100
6	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,360	$42,090 – $62,930	370
7	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,440	$41,030 – $75,210	640
8	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,400	$49,400 – $80,250	600
9	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,800	$37,350 – $59,870	510
10	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,560	$41,000 – $62,560	250
11	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,510	$38,270 – $60,450	370
12	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,440	$34,670 – $64,280	880
13	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,240	$36,110 – $62,270	240
14	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,320	$36,830 – $60,890	90
15	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,850	$36,640 – $72,540	150
16	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,780	$41,710 – $77,170	50
17	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,440	$35,350 – $50,160	280
18	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,100	$38,240 – $48,850	120
19	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,410	$37,040 – $81,160	180
20	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$41,740	$30,270 – $63,590	90
21	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,090	$30,410 – $50,050	90
22	Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,240	$36,700 – $51,060	170
23	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,880	$35,220 – $48,450	3,090
24	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,820	$35,680 – $58,390	660
25	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,500	$37,430 – $50,350	90
26	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,420	$29,230 – $48,670	150
27	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,090	$31,880 – $48,230	90
28	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$36,470	$28,710 – $42,900	200
29	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$35,620	$35,060 – $46,450	260
30	BakersNo formal educational credential	$35,430	$29,870 – $46,530	210
31	Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$35,110	$31,260 – $48,880	140

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

High paying production jobs in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI with no experience

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