Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022
51-0000 Production Occupations (Major Group)
Production Occupations comprises the following occupations:
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers;
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers;
Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers;
Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers;
Engine and Other Machine Assemblers;
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters;
Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators;
Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters;
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators;
Bakers;
Slaughterers and Meat Packers;
Butchers and Meat Cutters;
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers;
Food Processing Workers, All Other;
Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders;
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders;
Food Batchmakers;
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Machinists;
Pourers and Casters, Metal;
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders;
Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic;
Model Makers, Metal and Plastic;
Foundry Mold and Coremakers;
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Tool and Die Makers;
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers;
Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other;
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners;
Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic;
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Prepress Technicians and Workers;
Print Binding and Finishing Workers;
Printing Press Operators;
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers;
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials;
Sewing Machine Operators;
Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders;
Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers;
Sewers, Hand;
Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers;
Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders;
Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers, All Other;
Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers;
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers;
Upholsterers;
Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters;
Furniture Finishers;
Patternmakers, Wood;
Model Makers, Wood;
Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood;
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing;
Woodworkers, All Other;
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators;
Power Distributors and Dispatchers;
Power Plant Operators;
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators;
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators;
Plant and System Operators, All Other;
Gas Plant Operators;
Chemical Plant and System Operators;
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers;
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders;
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand;
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand;
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders;
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers;
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers;
Medical Appliance Technicians;
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians;
Dental Laboratory Technicians;
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders;
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers;
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Semiconductor Processing Technicians;
Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators;
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers;
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators;
Production Workers, All Other;
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders;
Etchers and Engravers;
Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders;
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders;
Tire Builders;
Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic;
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Helpers--Production Workers
National estimates for Production Occupations
Industry profile for Production Occupations
Geographic profile for Production Occupations
National estimates for Production Occupations:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Production Occupations:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 8,738,980 |
0.2 % |
$ 21.81 |
$ 45,370 |
0.2 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Production Occupations:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 13.93 |
$ 16.24 |
$ 19.19 |
$ 24.67 |
$ 31.94 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 28,980 |
$ 33,780 |
$ 39,910 |
$ 51,320 |
$ 66,430 |
Industry profile for Production Occupations:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Production Occupations are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Production Occupations, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Production Occupations:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Employment Services |
637,260 |
16.23 |
$ 16.55 |
$ 34,420 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) |
363,940 |
48.64 |
$ 22.89 |
$ 47,610 |
| Plastics Product Manufacturing |
360,260 |
58.88 |
$ 19.78 |
$ 41,150 |
| Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing |
350,680 |
64.51 |
$ 21.51 |
$ 44,750 |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing |
299,950 |
57.58 |
$ 18.10 |
$ 37,640 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Production Occupations:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Footwear Manufacturing |
8,780 |
77.38 |
$ 16.25 |
$ 33,790 |
| Motor Vehicle Manufacturing |
194,510 |
72.04 |
$ 27.55 |
$ 57,310 |
| Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing |
114,470 |
67.94 |
$ 22.87 |
$ 47,570 |
| Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills |
16,090 |
67.66 |
$ 17.07 |
$ 35,500 |
| Foundries |
70,790 |
67.30 |
$ 21.61 |
$ 44,940 |
Top paying industries for Production Occupations:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Motion Picture and Video Industries |
2,580 |
0.62 |
$ 55.25 |
$ 114,910 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution |
45,480 |
12.03 |
$ 48.02 |
$ 99,880 |
| Scheduled Air Transportation |
520 |
0.12 |
$ 45.21 |
$ 94,040 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
12,490 |
11.40 |
$ 44.97 |
$ 93,540 |
| Other Pipeline Transportation |
2,750 |
34.13 |
$ 43.56 |
$ 90,600 |
Geographic profile for Production Occupations:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Production Occupations are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Production Occupations, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Production Occupations:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
822,790 |
46.65 |
0.79 |
$ 23.40 |
$ 48,670 |
| Texas |
659,010 |
50.72 |
0.86 |
$ 21.67 |
$ 45,080 |
| Ohio |
478,800 |
89.07 |
1.51 |
$ 21.23 |
$ 44,160 |
| Michigan |
438,970 |
103.35 |
1.75 |
$ 21.85 |
$ 45,450 |
| Illinois |
409,860 |
69.66 |
1.18 |
$ 21.81 |
$ 45,360 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Production Occupations:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Indiana |
365,380 |
118.26 |
2.00 |
$ 22.18 |
$ 46,130 |
| Wisconsin |
320,110 |
113.60 |
1.92 |
$ 21.76 |
$ 45,250 |
| Michigan |
438,970 |
103.35 |
1.75 |
$ 21.85 |
$ 45,450 |
| Alabama |
204,650 |
102.12 |
1.73 |
$ 19.97 |
$ 41,530 |
| Kentucky |
185,670 |
97.75 |
1.65 |
$ 21.29 |
$ 44,280 |
Top paying states for Production Occupations:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| District of Columbia |
5,170 |
7.49 |
0.13 |
$ 31.95 |
$ 66,460 |
| Wyoming |
13,110 |
48.91 |
0.83 |
$ 28.79 |
$ 59,880 |
| Alaska |
10,010 |
32.69 |
0.55 |
$ 26.38 |
$ 54,880 |
| Washington |
159,910 |
46.96 |
0.79 |
$ 25.83 |
$ 53,730 |
| North Dakota |
23,150 |
57.08 |
0.97 |
$ 25.59 |
$ 53,220 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Production Occupations:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
306,050 |
50.17 |
0.85 |
$ 22.51 |
$ 46,810 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
286,680 |
64.91 |
1.10 |
$ 22.18 |
$ 46,130 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
261,300 |
28.45 |
0.48 |
$ 23.45 |
$ 48,770 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
191,280 |
50.27 |
0.85 |
$ 21.08 |
$ 43,850 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI |
185,220 |
99.23 |
1.68 |
$ 23.10 |
$ 48,050 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
167,690 |
54.90 |
0.93 |
$ 24.22 |
$ 50,380 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
137,910 |
50.56 |
0.86 |
$ 20.52 |
$ 42,680 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
127,380 |
67.60 |
1.14 |
$ 23.20 |
$ 48,260 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
109,240 |
39.44 |
0.67 |
$ 23.53 |
$ 48,940 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
102,070 |
37.75 |
0.64 |
$ 24.40 |
$ 50,750 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Production Occupations:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN |
52,620 |
370.07 |
6.26 |
$ 23.96 |
$ 49,850 |
| Dalton, GA |
15,070 |
233.91 |
3.96 |
$ 18.01 |
$ 37,460 |
| Sheboygan, WI |
13,430 |
229.18 |
3.88 |
$ 21.78 |
$ 45,310 |
| Columbus, IN |
10,380 |
211.34 |
3.58 |
$ 21.51 |
$ 44,730 |
| Kokomo, IN |
6,860 |
196.89 |
3.33 |
$ 28.14 |
$ 58,540 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC |
29,730 |
194.16 |
3.29 |
$ 19.42 |
$ 40,390 |
| Morristown, TN |
8,840 |
191.15 |
3.23 |
$ 18.27 |
$ 38,010 |
| Fond du Lac, WI |
7,650 |
170.14 |
2.88 |
$ 23.17 |
$ 48,200 |
| Wausau, WI |
11,780 |
170.08 |
2.88 |
$ 21.76 |
$ 45,260 |
| Spartanburg, SC |
26,580 |
169.68 |
2.87 |
$ 22.58 |
$ 46,970 |
United States Department of Labor
