High paying production jobs in Pennsylvania with no experience

The best paid production occupations in Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania run 2.4% below the national average (2024), so a Pennsylvania salary is worth about 1.02× 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 Pennsylvania.

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

Find production jobs in Pennsylvania

OccupationMedian, Pennsylvania · Employed

1Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$66,970
High school diploma or equivalent
$48,240 – $70,3103,070
2Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$63,310
High school diploma or equivalent
$45,670 – $80,4804,660
3Tool and Die Makers$61,160
Postsecondary nondegree award
$46,010 – $78,0903,380
4Machinists$57,810
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,620 – $77,09012,380
5Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$56,630
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,710 – $81,8406,230
6Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$54,590
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,410 – $74,4207,840
7Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$53,580
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,020 – $78,6702,450
8Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$52,900
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,510 – $74,87017,850
9Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$51,780
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,910 – $70,0007,410
10Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$51,150
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,120 – $73,0802,960
11Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,550
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,270 – $71,5704,380
12Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,390
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,130 – $70,5902,150
13Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,340
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,110 – $69,9206,790
14Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$48,320
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,720 – $73,89025,870
15Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,070
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,880 – $60,7407,960
16Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,860
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,380 – $62,5908,890
17Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,650
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,540 – $60,0403,830
18Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$47,610
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,540 – $63,6103,300
19Printing Press Operators$47,010
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,850 – $63,6907,150
20Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,760
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,810 – $61,3707,000
21Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,600
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,770 – $57,26013,440
22Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$44,980
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,060 – $60,9603,310
23Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$44,480
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,780 – $62,05019,340
24Production Workers, All Other$44,290
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,440 – $58,1708,490
25Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,160
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,530 – $61,48057,780
26Helpers--Production Workers$41,060
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,110 – $54,5506,450
27Food Batchmakers$39,920
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,370 – $59,3108,160
28Butchers and Meat Cutters$38,340
No formal educational credential
$29,000 – $58,1303,540
29Slaughterers and Meat Packers$37,330
No formal educational credential
$30,130 – $45,9704,410
30Bakers$36,360
No formal educational credential
$25,430 – $50,47010,380
31Sewing Machine Operators$35,640
No formal educational credential
$28,340 – $45,5103,390
32Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$34,060
No formal educational credential
$26,970 – $41,8806,290

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

#	Occupation	MedianPennsylvania	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$66,970	$48,240 – $70,310	3,070
2	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$63,310	$45,670 – $80,480	4,660
3	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$61,160	$46,010 – $78,090	3,380
4	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,810	$39,620 – $77,090	12,380
5	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,630	$38,710 – $81,840	6,230
6	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$54,590	$40,410 – $74,420	7,840
7	Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$53,580	$40,020 – $78,670	2,450
8	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,900	$40,510 – $74,870	17,850
9	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,780	$37,910 – $70,000	7,410
10	Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,150	$39,120 – $73,080	2,960
11	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,550	$38,270 – $71,570	4,380
12	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,390	$32,130 – $70,590	2,150
13	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,340	$37,110 – $69,920	6,790
14	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,320	$35,720 – $73,890	25,870
15	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,070	$34,880 – $60,740	7,960
16	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,860	$35,380 – $62,590	8,890
17	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,650	$36,540 – $60,040	3,830
18	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,610	$37,540 – $63,610	3,300
19	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,010	$34,850 – $63,690	7,150
20	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,760	$33,810 – $61,370	7,000
21	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,600	$35,770 – $57,260	13,440
22	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,980	$36,060 – $60,960	3,310
23	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,480	$31,780 – $62,050	19,340
24	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,290	$34,440 – $58,170	8,490
25	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,160	$31,530 – $61,480	57,780
26	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,060	$31,110 – $54,550	6,450
27	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,920	$31,370 – $59,310	8,160
28	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$38,340	$29,000 – $58,130	3,540
29	Slaughterers and Meat PackersNo formal educational credential	$37,330	$30,130 – $45,970	4,410
30	BakersNo formal educational credential	$36,360	$25,430 – $50,470	10,380
31	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$35,640	$28,340 – $45,510	3,390
32	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$34,060	$26,970 – $41,880	6,290

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

Metro areas in Pennsylvania

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

By field in Pennsylvania

Without a degree

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

High paying production jobs in Pennsylvania with no experience

More for Pennsylvania

Metro areas in Pennsylvania

By field in Pennsylvania

Without a degree

High paying production jobs in each state with no experience