EXPLORE A CAREER FAMILY · SOC 51

ProductionFind the work that fits.

Discover manufacturing and production work in machining, assembly, processing, fabrication and quality-related operations.

National occupation wages · across employer industries

The occupational wage group is distinct from an employer’s pay grade, shift premium, overtime or production incentive plan. Native units and source groupings remain visible in each profile.

Discover the occupations.

114 careers · Page 1 of 5

Occupational wages · May 2025
Production

Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders

Operate or tend bonding machines that use adhesives to join items for further processing or to form a completed product. Processes include joining veneer sheets into plywood; gluing paper; or joining rubber and rubberized fabric parts, plastic, simulated leather, or other materials.

National median annual wage$46,460Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers

Assemble, fit, fasten, and install parts of airplanes, space vehicles, or missiles, such as tails, wings, fuselage, bulkheads, stabilizers, landing gear, rigging and control equipment, or heating and ventilating systems.

National median annual wage$65,380Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Assemblers and Fabricators, All Other

All assemblers and fabricators not listed separately.

National median annual wage$44,650Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Bakers

Mix and bake ingredients to produce breads, rolls, cookies, cakes, pies, pastries, or other baked goods.

National median annual wage$37,160Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Biofuels Processing Technicians

Calculate, measure, load, mix, and process refined feedstock with additives in fermentation or reaction process vessels and monitor production process. Perform, and keep records of, plant maintenance, repairs, and safety inspections.

National median annual wage$62,470Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Biomass Plant Technicians

Control and monitor biomass plant activities and perform maintenance as needed.

National median annual wage$102,040Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Butchers and Meat Cutters

Cut, trim, or prepare consumer-sized portions of meat for use or sale in retail establishments.

National median annual wage$40,140Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters

Cut, shape, and assemble wooden articles or set up and operate a variety of woodworking machines, such as power saws, jointers, and mortisers to surface, cut, or shape lumber or to fabricate parts for wood products.

National median annual wage$46,680Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders

Operate or tend equipment to control chemical changes or reactions in the processing of industrial or consumer products. Equipment used includes devulcanizers, steam-jacketed kettles, and reactor vessels.

National median annual wage$58,040Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Chemical Plant and System Operators

Control or operate entire chemical processes or system of machines.

National median annual wage$78,120Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders

Operate or tend machines to wash or clean products, such as barrels or kegs, glass items, tin plate, food, pulp, coal, plastic, or rubber, to remove impurities.

National median annual wage$43,530Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Set up, operate, or tend spraying or rolling machines to coat or paint any of a wide variety of products, including glassware, cloth, ceramics, metal, plastic, paper, or wood, with lacquer, silver, copper, rubber, varnish, glaze, enamel, oil, or rust-proofing materials. Includes painters of transportation vehicles such as painters in auto body repair facilities.

National median annual wage$48,250Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers

Wind wire coils used in electrical components, such as resistors and transformers, and in electrical equipment and instruments, such as field cores, bobbins, armature cores, electrical motors, generators, and control equipment.

National median annual wage$48,220Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators

Operate computer-controlled tools, machines, or robots to machine or process parts, tools, or other work pieces made of metal, plastic, wood, stone, or other materials. May also set up and maintain equipment.

National median annual wage$50,690Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers

Develop programs to control machining or processing of materials by automatic machine tools, equipment, or systems. May also set up, operate, or maintain equipment.

National median annual wage$68,120Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders

Operate or tend equipment such as cooling and freezing units, refrigerators, batch freezers, and freezing tunnels, to cool or freeze products, food, blood plasma, and chemicals.

National median annual wage$41,330Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Set up, operate, or tend machines to crush, grind, or polish materials, such as coal, glass, grain, stone, food, or rubber.

National median annual wage$48,540Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand

Use hand tools or hand-held power tools to cut and trim a variety of manufactured items, such as carpet, fabric, stone, glass, or rubber.

National median annual wage$38,020Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.

National median annual wage$46,570Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.

National median annual wage$46,330Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Dental Laboratory Technicians

Construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances.

National median annual wage$49,610Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend drilling machines to drill, bore, ream, mill, or countersink metal or plastic work pieces.

National median annual wage$49,080Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers

Assemble or modify electrical or electronic equipment, such as computers, test equipment telemetering systems, electric motors, and batteries.

National median annual wage$45,850Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
Production

Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers

Assemble or modify electromechanical equipment or devices, such as servomechanisms, gyros, dynamometers, magnetic drums, tape drives, brakes, control linkage, actuators, and appliances.

National median annual wage$45,850Source occupation group · May 2025
Explore career
MAKE A MORE INFORMED PAY DECISION

Start with the occupation. Then choose your place.

Each profile explains the work, typical tasks and source occupation group. Where local wages are available, open the profile’s wage-market directory to explore a retained state, metro or nonmetro reference. Employer salary pages describe their own evidence separately.

Explore pay-planning tools
DIFFERENT WORK. MORE POSSIBILITIES.

Explore a family of careers.

Browse related occupations across employer industries, from healthcare and skilled trades to education, production and public service.

Browse all 23 career families

About these career references

Occupation descriptions are adapted from the O*NET® 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), under CC BY 4.0. Wages.fyi organizes the profiles into career-family guides and adds navigation and explanatory context. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Database license and attribution requirements.

Where shown, occupational wages use the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics reference available through official O*NET wage exports. A detailed career may share a broader wage group. Missing values remain unavailable; percentiles are not career levels or starting-salary promises. Read the methodology.