High paying production jobs in North Dakota with no experience

The best paid production occupations in North Dakota 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 North Dakota run 11.0% below the national average (2024), so a North Dakota salary is worth about 1.12× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in North Dakota.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find production jobs in North Dakota

OccupationMedian, North Dakota · Employed

1Power Plant Operators$122,160
High school diploma or equivalent
$104,300 – $134,280150
2Gas Plant Operators$96,760
High school diploma or equivalent
$76,570 – $129,410770
3Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers$93,130
High school diploma or equivalent
$66,580 – $118,280950
4Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators$66,760
High school diploma or equivalent
$48,270 – $108,460140
5Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$62,000
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,660 – $83,2902,590
6Machinists$61,820
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,810 – $80,030560
7Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$60,470
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,250 – $78,940550
8Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$60,250
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,530 – $72,660250
9Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$59,390
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,960 – $75,830270
10Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$54,430
High school diploma or equivalent
$48,480 – $61,900140
11Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$51,020
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,630 – $75,160560
12Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$50,820
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,500 – $81,5601,800
13Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$49,280
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,260 – $73,920310
14Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$49,190
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,170 – $71,140490
15Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,400
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,680 – $65,980230
16Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,000
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,240 – $63,550260
17Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,780
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,590 – $62,260160
18Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$47,390
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,710 – $58,620760
19Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$47,250
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,300 – $68,6304,410
20Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$47,250
No formal educational credential
$31,250 – $47,250390
21Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$47,140
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,380 – $61,960220
22Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,220
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,290 – $56,070270
23Helpers--Production Workers$46,170
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,940 – $60,980220
24Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$45,820
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,470 – $48,790280
25Production Workers, All Other$45,100
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,090 – $61,930450
26Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$43,480
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,370 – $49,510150
27Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$42,790
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,760 – $51,850450
28Food Batchmakers$40,840
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,180 – $51,840250
29Butchers and Meat Cutters$40,080
No formal educational credential
$22,390 – $57,160470
30Slaughterers and Meat Packers$39,730
No formal educational credential
$35,720 – $70,660160
31Printing Press Operators$37,850
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,700 – $57,100270
32Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$37,470
No formal educational credential
$31,040 – $45,630840
33Bakers$36,900
No formal educational credential
$29,640 – $46,500830

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

#	Occupation	MedianNorth Dakota	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Power Plant OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$122,160	$104,300 – $134,280	150
2	Gas Plant OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$96,760	$76,570 – $129,410	770
3	Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and GaugersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$93,130	$66,580 – $118,280	950
4	Stationary Engineers and Boiler OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$66,760	$48,270 – $108,460	140
5	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$62,000	$46,660 – $83,290	2,590
6	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$61,820	$47,810 – $80,030	560
7	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$60,470	$47,250 – $78,940	550
8	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$60,250	$46,530 – $72,660	250
9	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,390	$41,960 – $75,830	270
10	Structural Metal Fabricators and FittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$54,430	$48,480 – $61,900	140
11	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,020	$43,630 – $75,160	560
12	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,820	$40,500 – $81,560	1,800
13	Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,280	$36,260 – $73,920	310
14	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,190	$38,170 – $71,140	490
15	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,400	$43,680 – $65,980	230
16	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,000	$39,240 – $63,550	260
17	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,780	$40,590 – $62,260	160
18	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,390	$38,710 – $58,620	760
19	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,250	$38,300 – $68,630	4,410
20	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and TrimmersNo formal educational credential	$47,250	$31,250 – $47,250	390
21	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,140	$38,380 – $61,960	220
22	Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,220	$42,290 – $56,070	270
23	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,170	$30,940 – $60,980	220
24	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,820	$40,470 – $48,790	280
25	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,100	$38,090 – $61,930	450
26	Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,480	$43,370 – $49,510	150
27	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,790	$35,760 – $51,850	450
28	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,840	$35,180 – $51,840	250
29	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$40,080	$22,390 – $57,160	470
30	Slaughterers and Meat PackersNo formal educational credential	$39,730	$35,720 – $70,660	160
31	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,850	$30,700 – $57,100	270
32	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$37,470	$31,040 – $45,630	840
33	BakersNo formal educational credential	$36,900	$29,640 – $46,500	830

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

Metro areas in North Dakota

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in North Dakota

Without a degree

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

High paying production jobs in North Dakota with no experience

More for North Dakota

Metro areas in North Dakota

By field in North Dakota

Without a degree

High paying production jobs in each state with no experience