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Production employee salary
Average production employee salary
$15.8
Understanding Production Employee Salaries
The average annual salary for a production employee in the United States is approximately $32,872, translating to about $16 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, experience level, and specific job duties.
In states like California and Texas, production roles may offer higher salaries due to demand and cost of living adjustments. For example, the highest-paying cities for production employees often include locations like San Francisco and New York City, where salaries can exceed the national average.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level positions typically start around $28,000 per year, while experienced employees can earn up to $40,000 or more, depending on their specific roles. Additionally, specialized positions such as machinists or assembly supervisors may command even higher wages.
To maximize your earning potential, consider pursuing further training or certifications in manufacturing processes. This can lead to higher-paying roles within the production sector.
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Where can a Production Employee earn more?
Production employee salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level production employee | $23,400 | $11.23 |
| Mid-level production employee | $25,800 | $12.40 |
| Senior-level production employee | $38,900 | $18.70 |
Average production employee salary by state
The average production employee salary in Minnesota, Washington, and Ohio are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average production employee salary states are South Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for production employees
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $41,443 | $19.92 |
| 2 | Ohio | $38,737 | $18.62 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $36,867 | $17.72 |
| 4 | Indiana | $35,277 | $16.96 |
| 5 | Missouri | $35,738 | $17.18 |
| 6 | Vermont | $35,821 | $17.22 |
| 7 | Iowa | $34,171 | $16.43 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $36,884 | $17.73 |
| 9 | Washington | $38,935 | $18.72 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $33,301 | $16.01 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $36,436 | $17.52 |
| 12 | Nevada | $35,323 | $16.98 |
| 13 | South Dakota | $33,977 | $16.34 |
| 14 | Illinois | $34,413 | $16.54 |
| 15 | Maine | $33,305 | $16.01 |
| 16 | Montana | $36,335 | $17.47 |
| 17 | Oregon | $34,284 | $16.48 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $32,499 | $15.62 |
| 19 | Utah | $33,315 | $16.02 |
| 20 | Maryland | $35,335 | $16.99 |
| 21 | New York | $35,282 | $16.96 |
| 22 | Massachusetts | $34,130 | $16.41 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $33,834 | $16.27 |
| 24 | Colorado | $34,657 | $16.66 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $30,981 | $14.89 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $32,940 | $15.84 |
| 27 | California | $33,936 | $16.32 |
| 28 | Rhode Island | $31,826 | $15.30 |
| 29 | Alaska | $34,057 | $16.37 |
| 30 | Kansas | $30,121 | $14.48 |
| 31 | Arizona | $31,666 | $15.22 |
| 32 | Idaho | $31,672 | $15.23 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $28,527 | $13.71 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $32,201 | $15.48 |
| 35 | Michigan | $27,760 | $13.35 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $30,300 | $14.57 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $26,982 | $12.97 |
| 38 | New Jersey | $31,689 | $15.24 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $26,192 | $12.59 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $27,696 | $13.32 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $32,897 | $15.82 |
| 42 | Georgia | $27,217 | $13.09 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $26,701 | $12.84 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $28,484 | $13.69 |
| 45 | Delaware | $29,831 | $14.34 |
| 46 | Texas | $28,177 | $13.55 |
| 47 | District of Columbia | $29,895 | $14.37 |
| 48 | Florida | $25,287 | $12.16 |
| 49 | Alabama | $22,091 | $10.62 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $24,168 | $11.62 |
| 51 | Virginia | $25,061 | $12.05 |
Highest paying cities for production employees
The highest-paying cities for production employees are Cleveland, OH, Seattle, WA, and Bismarck, ND.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleveland, OH | $39,921 | $19.19 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $39,040 | $18.77 |
| 3 | Bismarck, ND | $36,642 | $17.62 |
| 4 | Fort Wayne, IN | $36,297 | $17.45 |
| 5 | Saint Louis, MO | $35,599 | $17.11 |
| 6 | Novato, CA | $34,927 | $16.79 |
| 7 | Chicago, IL | $34,589 | $16.63 |
| 8 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $34,384 | $16.53 |
| 9 | Lawrence, MA | $34,240 | $16.46 |
| 10 | Kearns, UT | $33,378 | $16.05 |
| 11 | Sun Prairie, WI | $33,228 | $15.97 |
| 12 | Phoenix, AZ | $31,725 | $15.25 |
| 13 | Erie, PA | $29,538 | $14.20 |
| 14 | McKinney, TX | $28,414 | $13.66 |
| 15 | Battle Creek, MI | $27,532 | $13.24 |
| 16 | Franklin, TN | $26,174 | $12.58 |
Production employee salary details
A production employee's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $42,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a production employee's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
| 75th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| Average | $32,872 | $2,739 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
Highest paying production employee jobs
The highest paying types of production employees are production supervisor, production leader, and production specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finisher Operator | $35,406 | $2,951 | $17.02 | 77,850 |
| Line Operator | $34,520 | $2,877 | $16.60 | 137,127 |
| SMT Operator | $33,647 | $2,804 | $16.18 | 54,826 |
| Shop Worker | $31,850 | $2,654 | $15.31 | 73,161 |
| Machines Technician | $39,754 | $3,313 | $19.11 | 106,175 |
| Production Technician | $37,550 | $3,129 | $18.05 | 135,266 |
Top companies hiring production employees now:
Which companies pay production employees the most?
Production employee salaries at Steel Dynamics and AK Steel are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average production employee salary at companies like Post Holdings and Ingredion are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steel Dynamics | $44,267 | $21.28 |
| 2 | AK Steel | $41,773 | $20.08 |
| 3 | Post Holdings | $40,787 | $19.61 |
| 4 | Ingredion | $40,112 | $19.28 |
| 5 | TreeHouse Foods | $39,465 | $18.97 |
| 6 | International Paper | $38,936 | $18.72 |
| 7 | Apogee Enterprises | $38,360 | $18.44 |
| 8 | Idaho Forest Group | $38,344 | $18.43 |
| 9 | Silgan Containers | $38,144 | $18.34 |
| 10 | Kellogg | $37,913 | $18.23 |
| 11 | Autocar Truck | $37,417 | $17.99 |
| 12 | Silgan Holdings | $37,270 | $17.92 |
| 13 | Domtar | $36,974 | $17.78 |
| 14 | Donaldson | $36,755 | $17.67 |
| 15 | Inteplast Group | $36,487 | $17.54 |
| 16 | Malt-O-Meal | $35,975 | $17.30 |
| 17 | Windsor Windows & Doors | $35,799 | $17.21 |
| 18 | UniFirst | $34,969 | $16.81 |
| 19 | PMX Industries | $34,960 | $16.81 |
| 20 | Prohealth Corp | $34,763 | $16.71 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Production employee salary trends
The average production employee salary has risen by $4,914 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average production employee earned $27,958 annually, but today, they earn $32,872 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for production employees over the last decade.
Compare production employee salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average production employee salary over time
Compare production employee salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Production employee salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $32,900 | $15.80 | +5.2% |
| 2024 | $31,200 | $14.99 | -1.2% |
| 2023 | $31,600 | $15.18 | +4.2% |
| 2022 | $30,200 | $14.53 | +0.4% |
| 2021 | $30,100 | $14.47 | +2.9% |
Recently added production employee salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donaldson Company | Production Employee | Chillicothe, MO | 06/30/2025 | $43,305 |
| Donaldson Inc. | Production Employee | Chillicothe, OH | 06/25/2025 | $43,305 |
| Vestis Services | Production Employee-B | Fresno, CA | 06/18/2025 | $38,067 |
| Vestis | Production Employee-B | Fresno, CA | 06/17/2025 | $38,067 |
| Vestis Services | Production Employee-I | Hibbing, MN | 06/12/2025 | $37,879 |
| Vestis | Production Employee-I | Hibbing, MN | 06/11/2025 | $37,879 |
| WH Biopharma | Production Employee | Pompano Beach, FL | 06/10/2025 | $31,305 |
| Vestis | Production Employee-I | Fresno, CA | 05/23/2025 | $38,067 |
| Vestis Services | Production Employee-I | Fresno, CA | 05/23/2025 | $38,067 |
| Crown Linen Service | Production Employee | Columbia, IL | 05/19/2025 | $35,479 |
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