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Production line operator salary
Average production line operator salary
$15.99
Average Production Line Operator Salary
A Production Line Operator plays a critical role in manufacturing processes, ensuring products are assembled efficiently and safely. Currently, the average annual salary for this position stands at $33,261. This figure can vary greatly depending on factors such as location, years of experience, and the specific industry.
Salary by State
Some states offer higher salaries due to demand and cost of living factors. For instance, states like California and New York typically report higher wages for production line operators, reflecting their economic conditions.
Experience Levels
Entry-level operators may start at around $30,000 annually, while those with several years of experience can earn upwards of $40,000 or more, particularly in specialized sectors.
Career Opportunities
With ongoing advancements in manufacturing technologies, the demand for skilled production line operators continues to rise. Job seekers should consider exploring various industries that utilize these roles, as opportunities abound in fields such as food and beverage production, automotive assembly, and electronics manufacturing.
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Where can a Production Line Operator earn more?
Production line operator salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level production line operator | $23,600 | $11.36 |
| Mid-level production line operator | $26,100 | $12.55 |
| Senior-level production line operator | $39,400 | $18.92 |
Production line operator salary estimates from across the web
Average production line operator salary by state
The highest-paying states for production line operators are Washington, Minnesota, and North Dakota. The lowest average production line operator salary states are Kentucky, Georgia, and Virginia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for production line operators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $40,687 | $19.56 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | $37,757 | $18.15 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $38,545 | $18.53 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $36,239 | $17.42 |
| 5 | Ohio | $35,140 | $16.89 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $40,166 | $19.31 |
| 7 | Vermont | $38,157 | $18.34 |
| 8 | Washington | $45,862 | $22.05 |
| 9 | Iowa | $34,265 | $16.47 |
| 10 | Maine | $35,423 | $17.03 |
| 11 | Montana | $39,631 | $19.05 |
| 12 | Utah | $34,795 | $16.73 |
| 13 | Nevada | $36,202 | $17.40 |
| 14 | Alaska | $39,528 | $19.00 |
| 15 | Oregon | $37,015 | $17.80 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $35,262 | $16.95 |
| 17 | Indiana | $32,521 | $15.64 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $37,166 | $17.87 |
| 19 | New York | $37,985 | $18.26 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $36,407 | $17.50 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $32,694 | $15.72 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $33,322 | $16.02 |
| 23 | Illinois | $33,243 | $15.98 |
| 24 | Missouri | $33,397 | $16.06 |
| 25 | California | $34,868 | $16.76 |
| 26 | Idaho | $33,652 | $16.18 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $34,643 | $16.66 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $34,025 | $16.36 |
| 29 | Arizona | $32,004 | $15.39 |
| 30 | Michigan | $31,137 | $14.97 |
| 31 | New Jersey | $31,871 | $15.32 |
| 32 | Maryland | $34,992 | $16.82 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $31,947 | $15.36 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $27,527 | $13.23 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $29,264 | $14.07 |
| 36 | Kansas | $29,719 | $14.29 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $29,660 | $14.26 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $25,791 | $12.40 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $30,398 | $14.61 |
| 40 | Texas | $28,648 | $13.77 |
| 41 | Colorado | $30,143 | $14.49 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $27,060 | $13.01 |
| 43 | Georgia | $25,506 | $12.26 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $28,193 | $13.55 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $26,443 | $12.71 |
| 46 | Delaware | $29,656 | $14.26 |
| 47 | Florida | $24,189 | $11.63 |
| 48 | District of Columbia | $29,571 | $14.22 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $23,302 | $11.20 |
| 50 | Alabama | $22,818 | $10.97 |
| 51 | Virginia | $24,930 | $11.99 |
Highest paying cities for production line operators
The highest-paying cities for production line operators are Saint Cloud, MN, Wausau, WI, and Binghamton, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint Cloud, MN | $41,144 | $19.78 |
| 2 | Wausau, WI | $39,583 | $19.03 |
| 3 | Binghamton, NY | $39,343 | $18.91 |
| 4 | Elyria, OH | $36,561 | $17.58 |
| 5 | Clearfield, UT | $35,066 | $16.86 |
| 6 | Riverside, CA | $34,040 | $16.37 |
| 7 | Ankeny, IA | $34,017 | $16.35 |
| 8 | Fort Wayne, IN | $33,969 | $16.33 |
| 9 | Elgin, IL | $33,787 | $16.24 |
| 10 | Broken Arrow, OK | $29,586 | $14.22 |
| 11 | Lebanon, TN | $27,797 | $13.36 |
| 12 | Charlotte, NC | $26,766 | $12.87 |
| 13 | Gainesville, GA | $26,068 | $12.53 |
| 14 | Springdale, AR | $23,928 | $11.50 |
| 15 | Hialeah, FL | $23,903 | $11.49 |
Production line operator salary details
A production line operator's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $43,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a production line operator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
| 75th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
| Average | $33,261 | $2,772 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
Highest paying production line operator jobs
The highest paying types of production line operators are relief operator, production specialist, and operator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | $37,928 | $3,161 | $18.23 | 159,077 |
| Filler Operator | $37,729 | $3,144 | $18.14 | 65,876 |
| Molder Operator | $31,707 | $2,642 | $15.24 | 66,217 |
| Cell Operator | $37,866 | $3,155 | $18.20 | 66,532 |
| Relief Operator | $42,693 | $3,558 | $20.53 | 64,469 |
| Pack Out Operator | $33,217 | $2,768 | $15.97 | 73,108 |
Top companies hiring production line operators now:
Which companies pay production line operators the most?
Production line operator salaries at Dairy Farmers of America and Nestlé are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average production line operator salary at companies like Quality Pork International and Steel Dynamics are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dairy Farmers of America | $44,524 | $21.41 |
| 2 | Nestlé | $43,281 | $20.81 |
| 3 | Quality Pork International | $42,783 | $20.57 |
| 4 | Steel Dynamics | $42,494 | $20.43 |
| 5 | Talking Rain | $42,386 | $20.38 |
| 6 | Land O'Lakes | $41,599 | $20.00 |
| 7 | Adams Extract & Spice | $40,966 | $19.70 |
| 8 | Hearthside Food Solutions | $40,094 | $19.28 |
| 9 | Wausau Window and Wall Systems | $39,600 | $19.04 |
| 10 | Oldcastle Infrastructure | $39,411 | $18.95 |
| 11 | Siemens | $39,237 | $18.86 |
| 12 | Textron | $38,103 | $18.32 |
| 13 | Crown Holdings | $38,005 | $18.27 |
| 14 | Paragon Films | $37,605 | $18.08 |
| 15 | Butterball | $37,563 | $18.06 |
| 16 | Stratas Foods | $37,423 | $17.99 |
| 17 | Avantor | $35,761 | $17.19 |
| 18 | ITW | $35,288 | $16.97 |
| 19 | Dura-Line | $35,112 | $16.88 |
| 20 | TPI | $34,322 | $16.50 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Production Line Operator salary by industry
The average production line operator salary varies across industries:
- The average production line operator salary in the manufacturing industry is $38,400, the highest of any industry.
- The average production line operator salary in the finance industry is $37,351.
- Production line operators in the agriculture industry earn an average salary of $32,588, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for production line operators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $38,400 | $18.46 |
| 2 | Professional | $37,351 | $17.96 |
| 3 | Automotive | $36,684 | $17.64 |
| 4 | Technology | $36,065 | $17.34 |
| 5 | Agriculture | $32,588 | $15.67 |
High paying production line operator jobs
Production line operator salary trends
The average production line operator salary has risen by $4,973 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average production line operator earned $28,288 annually, but today, they earn $33,261 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for production line operators over the last decade.
Compare production line operator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average production line operator salary over time
Compare production line operator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Production line operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $33,300 | $15.99 | +5.2% |
| 2025 | $31,500 | $15.17 | -1.2% |
| 2024 | $31,900 | $15.35 | +4.2% |
| 2023 | $30,600 | $14.70 | +0.4% |
| 2022 | $30,500 | $14.64 | +2.9% |
Recently added production line operator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gossner Foods, Inc. | Production Line Operator | Logan, UT | 06/30/2025 | $36,627 |
| Stratas Foods | Production Line Operator | Fresno, CA | 06/26/2025 | $39,590 |
| Greif Brothers | Production Line Operator 1St. Shift | Homerville, GA | 06/25/2025 | $33,016 |
| Stand-By Personnel | Production Line Operator | Glenpool, OK | 06/25/2025 | $38,610 |
| Lee Container | Production Line Operator 1St. Shift | Homerville, GA | 06/21/2025 | $33,016 |
| Prysmian Communications Cables & Systems USA | Production Line Operator | Willimantic, CT | 06/20/2025 | $48,105 |
| Prysmian Communications Cables & Systems USA | Production Line Operators | Jackson, TN | 06/20/2025 | $37,566 |
| Prysmian Communications Cables & Systems USA | Production Line Operator | Marion, IN | 06/20/2025 | $56,349 |
| Prysmian Communications Cables & Systems USA | Production Line Operator | Williamsport, PA | 06/20/2025 | $48,293 |
| Prysmian Communications Cables & Systems USA | Production Line Operator | Marshall, TX | 06/20/2025 | $44,933 |
Production line operator salary FAQs
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