Career field
Production & Manufacturing careers
Occupations that operate machinery and produce goods. CampusPin lists 105 production & manufacturing occupations, with median pay ranging from $33,760 to $122,610 per year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage or a guarantee.
Occupations
105
indexed BLS occupations
Median pay range
$33,760–$122,610
BLS 2024, occupation-wide
Typical pay (midpoint)
$46,020
median of these medians
Most common entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
across 105 occupations
Projected to grow fastest
BLS projected employment change, 2024–2034.
Largest by employment
BLS employment estimate, 2024.
Typical entry-level education
How many of these occupations BLS classifies at each typical entry-level education. Many roles also have experience or licensure requirements beyond a degree.
- High school diploma or equivalent: 88
- No formal educational credential: 14
- Postsecondary nondegree award: 3
Occupations in this field
Every occupation BLS places in this field, with median pay, the openings each is projected to average per year, its projected employment change, and the education most entrants hold. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first, which is the measure of how much hiring a field actually does rather than how much it pays.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators | $42,210 | 156,300 | -0.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers | $47,460 | 69,900 | 0% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-line supervisors of production and operating workers | $71,190 | 67,700 | +1.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers | $51,000 | 45,600 | +2.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders | $40,900 | 45,300 | +4.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Bakers | $36,650 | 39,900 | +5.6% | No formal educational credential |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers | $33,800 | 31,900 | +5.4% | No formal educational credential |
| Production workers, all other | $38,820 | 31,600 | +0.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers | $44,040 | 29,600 | +4.6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Machinists | $56,150 | 29,500 | 0% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Food batchmakers | $40,790 | 24,200 | +6.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Helpers--production workers | $38,220 | 23,600 | -8.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers | $37,700 | 18,400 | +5.5% | No formal educational credential |
| Butchers and meat cutters | $38,960 | 16,900 | +1% | No formal educational credential |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $41,230 | 15,900 | -3.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders | $47,590 | 15,800 | +0.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Chemical equipment operators and tenders | $57,090 | 14,400 | +3.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $45,590 | 14,400 | -12.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Printing press operators | $45,160 | 13,700 | -8.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Computer numerically controlled tool operators | $49,970 | 13,500 | -10.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Sewing machine operators | $36,000 | 13,000 | -10.8% | No formal educational credential |
| Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $46,060 | 12,800 | -0.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators | $58,260 | 10,700 | -6.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders | $47,680 | 8,800 | -6.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Slaughterers and meat packers | $39,790 | 8,400 | +2.2% | No formal educational credential |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters | $46,020 | 8,100 | -1.6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders | $49,390 | 8,100 | -6.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $46,980 | 6,500 | +1.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Food processing workers, all other | $38,420 | 6,500 | +5.3% | No formal educational credential |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing | $40,440 | 6,400 | -1.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $45,190 | 5,500 | -12% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic | $45,690 | 5,500 | +6.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders | $49,500 | 5,400 | -4.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders | $45,700 | 5,300 | -2.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders | $45,130 | 5,200 | +2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers | $40,860 | 5,000 | -4.5% | No formal educational credential |
| Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood | $39,950 | 4,800 | -0.6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Tool and die makers | $63,180 | 4,700 | -10.8% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Food cooking machine operators and tenders | $40,550 | 4,400 | +0.6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters | $49,900 | 4,100 | -16.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers | $49,140 | 4,000 | -5.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Dental laboratory technicians | $48,310 | 3,900 | -4.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Semiconductor processing technicians | $51,180 | 3,900 | +10.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Stationary engineers and boiler operators | $75,190 | 3,800 | +2.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers | $97,540 | 3,200 | -2.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders | $47,060 | 3,200 | -9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Computer numerically controlled tool programmers | $65,670 | 3,100 | +12.8% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers | $61,680 | 2,800 | -14.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Engine and other machine assemblers | $52,540 | 2,800 | -21.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Prepress technicians and workers | $47,300 | 2,800 | -14.6% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials | $33,880 | 2,800 | -13.5% | No formal educational credential |
| Print binding and finishing workers | $39,820 | 2,800 | -16.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders | $46,890 | 2,700 | -2.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $41,600 | 2,500 | -13.6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Power plant operators | $99,670 | 2,500 | -11.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Textile winding, twisting, and drawing out machine setters, operators, and tenders | $37,660 | 2,500 | -9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Tire builders | $55,580 | 2,500 | +2.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders | $42,730 | 2,400 | +0.6% | No formal educational credential |
| Ophthalmic laboratory technicians | $38,420 | 2,400 | +2.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Upholsterers | $46,190 | 2,200 | -1.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Fiberglass laminators and fabricators | $45,760 | 2,100 | +4.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Extruding and forming machine setters, operators, and tenders, synthetic and glass fibers | $44,980 | 2,000 | -1.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Furniture finishers | $42,530 | 2,000 | -3.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders | $55,770 | 2,000 | -2.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders | $47,010 | 1,900 | +3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $48,630 | 1,900 | -8.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Woodworkers, all other | $41,220 | 1,800 | -4.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Metal workers and plastic workers, all other | $42,750 | 1,700 | -9.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders | $38,260 | 1,700 | -11.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Textile, apparel, and furnishings workers, all other | $37,010 | 1,700 | -9.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Chemical plant and system operators | $73,540 | 1,600 | -6.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders | $41,460 | 1,600 | +3.6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Plant and system operators, all other | $61,710 | 1,600 | +1.6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $48,620 | 1,500 | -13.6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Medical appliance technicians | $47,060 | 1,500 | +3.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Photographic process workers and processing machine operators | $40,100 | 1,500 | -2.6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders | $45,210 | 1,300 | +1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Gas plant operators | $83,400 | 1,300 | -8.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Coil winders, tapers, and finishers | $47,260 | 1,200 | -6.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $47,450 | 1,200 | -12.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $48,310 | 1,100 | -14.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders | $37,940 | 1,000 | -11.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Etchers and engravers | $40,450 | 900 | -0.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Foundry mold and coremakers | $45,700 | 900 | -25.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Shoe and leather workers and repairers | $35,950 | 900 | -3.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders | $40,160 | 800 | +7.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Grinding and polishing workers, hand | $41,690 | 800 | -21.2% | No formal educational credential |
| Painting, coating, and decorating workers | $40,860 | 800 | +1.4% | No formal educational credential |
| Power distributors and dispatchers | $107,240 | 800 | -3.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Sewers, hand | $33,760 | 700 | -7% | No formal educational credential |
| Textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders | $37,320 | 700 | -10.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Cutters and trimmers, hand | $38,800 | 600 | -18.1% | No formal educational credential |
| Forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $49,240 | 600 | -18.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Pourers and casters, metal | $48,940 | 600 | -4.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Layout workers, metal and plastic | $61,870 | 500 | -5.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners | $48,970 | 500 | -7.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $46,630 | 400 | -19.6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Nuclear power reactor operators | $122,610 | 400 | -15.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Shoe machine operators and tenders | $38,160 | 400 | -3.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Fabric and apparel patternmakers | $67,670 | 300 | -10.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Model makers, metal and plastic | $62,700 | 300 | -18.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Model makers, wood | $51,850 | 100 | -4.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Patternmakers, metal and plastic | $54,540 | 100 | -24.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Patternmakers, wood | $52,520 | Not reported | -5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Timing device assemblers and adjusters | $40,790 | Not reported | -17.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 wages and Employment Projections. “Most entrants hold” describes the education people already working in the occupation typically have. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Majors that lead into this field
CampusPin majors whose program maps to occupations in this field via the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk.
Frequently asked questions
What careers are in the production & manufacturing field?
CampusPin lists 105 production & manufacturing occupations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, including Nuclear power reactor operators, Power distributors and dispatchers, Power plant operators, Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers. Each links to a career page with median pay, projected job growth, and typical entry-level education.
How much do production & manufacturing careers pay?
Across these occupations, BLS 2024 median pay ranges from $33,760 to $122,610 per year, with a midpoint (the median of the occupations' medians) near $46,020. Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage, and varies by state, employer, and experience.
What education do production & manufacturing careers require?
Typical entry-level education varies by occupation; the most common in this field is high school diploma or equivalent. 88 occupations list high school diploma or equivalent; 14 occupations list no formal educational credential; 3 occupations list postsecondary nondegree award.
Which production & manufacturing careers are projected to grow fastest?
Over 2024–2034, BLS projects the fastest growth for Computer numerically controlled tool programmers (+12.8%), Semiconductor processing technicians (+10.9%), Cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders (+7.2%), Food batchmakers (+6.9%), Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic (+6.2%). Projections are BLS model estimates, not guarantees.
Put this field in context
The pay and growth numbers above are field-wide BLS medians and national projections across production & manufacturing occupations, not a starting salary or a guarantee for any single job. These CampusPin guides explain how to read them and how a field connects to majors and college choices.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
How one major connects to many careers
A major points toward several occupations in a field, not a single destination.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Compare cost, earnings, and debt together
Weigh price, earnings, and debt side by side without reducing a field to one number.
Occupation data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (Employment Projections); wages are 2024 and projections cover 2024–2034. Figures are national, not institution-specific, and projections are estimates, not guarantees.