High paying production jobs in Oregon with no experience

The best paid production occupations in Oregon 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 Oregon run 3.4% above the national average (2024), so a Oregon salary is worth about 0.97× 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 Oregon.

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

Find production jobs in Oregon

OccupationMedian, Oregon · Employed

1Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$69,720
High school diploma or equivalent
$50,270 – $87,8801,240
2Machinists$63,820
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,040 – $86,5802,760
3Semiconductor Processing Technicians$63,330
High school diploma or equivalent
$48,720 – $80,5106,620
4Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$59,450
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,070 – $79,2305,240
5Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$57,290
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,330 – $75,2901,180
6Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$56,810
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,300 – $83,640680
7Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$56,670
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,850 – $76,9802,920
8Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$56,510
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,460 – $81,190950
9Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$54,120
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,340 – $82,2705,690
10Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$53,680
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,490 – $66,2101,180
11Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$51,180
High school diploma or equivalent
$45,880 – $63,140990
12Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,420
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,060 – $75,1601,090
13Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,160
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,880 – $79,0201,340
14Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders$50,050
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,810 – $58,500900
15Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood$49,740
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,370 – $59,2502,010
16Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$49,480
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,690 – $59,4402,120
17Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$49,400
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,280 – $75,9202,470
18Butchers and Meat Cutters$49,360
No formal educational credential
$37,220 – $60,1501,540
19Printing Press Operators$48,760
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,270 – $63,5101,330
20Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$47,640
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,110 – $60,2703,530
21Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,470
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,280 – $63,6701,120
22Production Workers, All Other$47,180
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,450 – $63,3402,530
23Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$46,910
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,830 – $61,05011,120
24Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$46,910
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,610 – $58,6602,190
25Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,200
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,310 – $66,7301,780
26Woodworkers, All Other$45,590
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,230 – $56,970640
27Helpers--Production Workers$45,390
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,560 – $56,8502,420
28Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$45,180
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,730 – $59,7405,370
29Food Batchmakers$39,850
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,050 – $56,4303,420
30Sewing Machine Operators$39,780
No formal educational credential
$33,770 – $51,2601,250
31Bakers$39,500
No formal educational credential
$33,120 – $51,8704,160
32Food Processing Workers, All Other$38,170
No formal educational credential
$30,390 – $53,930760
33Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$37,800
No formal educational credential
$34,000 – $46,6601,890
34Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$36,060
No formal educational credential
$35,640 – $45,360910

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

#	Occupation	MedianOregon	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$69,720	$50,270 – $87,880	1,240
2	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$63,820	$47,040 – $86,580	2,760
3	Semiconductor Processing TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$63,330	$48,720 – $80,510	6,620
4	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,450	$46,070 – $79,230	5,240
5	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,290	$41,330 – $75,290	1,180
6	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,810	$46,300 – $83,640	680
7	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,670	$42,850 – $76,980	2,920
8	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,510	$43,460 – $81,190	950
9	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$54,120	$38,340 – $82,270	5,690
10	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$53,680	$44,490 – $66,210	1,180
11	Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,180	$45,880 – $63,140	990
12	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,420	$39,060 – $75,160	1,090
13	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,160	$36,880 – $79,020	1,340
14	Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,050	$37,810 – $58,500	900
15	Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, WoodHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,740	$37,370 – $59,250	2,010
16	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,480	$39,690 – $59,440	2,120
17	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,400	$40,280 – $75,920	2,470
18	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$49,360	$37,220 – $60,150	1,540
19	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,760	$37,270 – $63,510	1,330
20	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,640	$39,110 – $60,270	3,530
21	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,470	$42,280 – $63,670	1,120
22	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,180	$36,450 – $63,340	2,530
23	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,910	$37,830 – $61,050	11,120
24	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,910	$36,610 – $58,660	2,190
25	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,200	$34,310 – $66,730	1,780
26	Woodworkers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,590	$34,230 – $56,970	640
27	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,390	$35,560 – $56,850	2,420
28	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,180	$35,730 – $59,740	5,370
29	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,850	$35,050 – $56,430	3,420
30	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$39,780	$33,770 – $51,260	1,250
31	BakersNo formal educational credential	$39,500	$33,120 – $51,870	4,160
32	Food Processing Workers, All OtherNo formal educational credential	$38,170	$30,390 – $53,930	760
33	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$37,800	$34,000 – $46,660	1,890
34	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and TrimmersNo formal educational credential	$36,060	$35,640 – $45,360	910

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

Metro areas in Oregon

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

By field in Oregon

Without a degree

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

High paying production jobs in Oregon with no experience

More for Oregon

Metro areas in Oregon

By field in Oregon

Without a degree

High paying production jobs in each state with no experience