High paying production jobs in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN with no experience

The best paid production occupations in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN 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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN run 6.9% below the national average (2024), so a Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN salary is worth about 1.07× 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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

OccupationMedian, Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN · Employed

1Tool and Die Makers$75,250
Postsecondary nondegree award
$47,330 – $85,900610
2Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$63,490
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,410 – $91,380920
3Machinists$60,500
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,780 – $79,570990
4Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$60,230
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,980 – $66,2803,100
5Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$59,220
High school diploma or equivalent
$49,720 – $71,960750
6Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$59,000
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,390 – $60,930440
7Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$55,420
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,290 – $59,540460
8Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$55,250
High school diploma or equivalent
$48,800 – $60,760380
9Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$52,230
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,640 – $79,740530
10Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$50,870
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,070 – $70,3601,790
11Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,740
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,890 – $64,700460
12Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$50,640
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,750 – $63,350620
13Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,400
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,180 – $55,410550
14Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$49,180
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,270 – $65,0401,170
15Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,680
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,620 – $59,380270
16Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,620
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,500 – $59,910220
17Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,610
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,760 – $62,610400
18Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$48,590
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,340 – $59,2802,410
19Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$48,440
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,790 – $64,46020,920
20Printing Press Operators$48,110
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,900 – $63,9601,340
21Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,070
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,320 – $66,070820
22Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$48,000
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,610 – $65,5004,040
23Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$47,410
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,430 – $62,800280
24Prepress Technicians and Workers$47,270
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,700 – $62,120380
25Helpers--Production Workers$46,610
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,310 – $56,890420
26Food Batchmakers$46,540
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,500 – $58,0001,320
27Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$46,480
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,830 – $55,670400
28Print Binding and Finishing Workers$46,120
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,280 – $59,840250
29Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$45,830
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,150 – $60,470510
30Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$44,280
No formal educational credential
$38,940 – $45,590310
31Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$42,810
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,330 – $58,480870
32Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$42,510
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,300 – $62,2201,060
33Production Workers, All Other$40,160
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,380 – $46,1701,020
34Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood$40,010
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,500 – $54,430280
35Butchers and Meat Cutters$37,200
No formal educational credential
$27,070 – $48,360460
36Bakers$36,430
No formal educational credential
$27,390 – $50,560610
37Sewing Machine Operators$32,930
No formal educational credential
$24,590 – $43,120440
38Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$30,240
No formal educational credential
$25,160 – $36,910920

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

#	Occupation	MedianLouisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$75,250	$47,330 – $85,900	610
2	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$63,490	$44,410 – $91,380	920
3	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$60,500	$40,780 – $79,570	990
4	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$60,230	$38,980 – $66,280	3,100
5	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,220	$49,720 – $71,960	750
6	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,000	$47,390 – $60,930	440
7	Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$55,420	$37,290 – $59,540	460
8	Structural Metal Fabricators and FittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$55,250	$48,800 – $60,760	380
9	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,230	$35,640 – $79,740	530
10	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,870	$41,070 – $70,360	1,790
11	Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,740	$39,890 – $64,700	460
12	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,640	$39,750 – $63,350	620
13	Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,400	$39,180 – $55,410	550
14	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,180	$37,270 – $65,040	1,170
15	Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,680	$37,620 – $59,380	270
16	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,620	$37,500 – $59,910	220
17	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,610	$38,760 – $62,610	400
18	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,590	$36,340 – $59,280	2,410
19	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,440	$34,790 – $64,460	20,920
20	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,110	$35,900 – $63,960	1,340
21	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,070	$37,320 – $66,070	820
22	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,000	$35,610 – $65,500	4,040
23	Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,410	$33,430 – $62,800	280
24	Prepress Technicians and WorkersPostsecondary nondegree award	$47,270	$37,700 – $62,120	380
25	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,610	$36,310 – $56,890	420
26	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,540	$33,500 – $58,000	1,320
27	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,480	$35,830 – $55,670	400
28	Print Binding and Finishing WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,120	$30,280 – $59,840	250
29	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,830	$36,150 – $60,470	510
30	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and TrimmersNo formal educational credential	$44,280	$38,940 – $45,590	310
31	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,810	$37,330 – $58,480	870
32	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,510	$34,300 – $62,220	1,060
33	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,160	$33,380 – $46,170	1,020
34	Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, WoodHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,010	$34,500 – $54,430	280
35	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$37,200	$27,070 – $48,360	460
36	BakersNo formal educational credential	$36,430	$27,390 – $50,560	610
37	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$32,930	$24,590 – $43,120	440
38	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$30,240	$25,160 – $36,910	920

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN. 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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

Other metro areas in KY

By field in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN to rank honestly.

High paying production jobs in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN with no experience

More for Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

Other metro areas in KY

By field in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

Without a degree

High paying production jobs in each state with no experience