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Production operator salary
Average production operator salary
$35,185
Understanding Production Operator Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Production Operator stands at $35,185 per year, with a typical hourly rate of around $17. However, salaries can differ based on several key factors, including experience level, geographic location, and the industry sector. For instance, operators with extensive experience may earn upwards of $40,000 annually, while entry-level positions start lower.
In states like California and Texas, demand for skilled operators can push salaries higher. Companies often offer better compensation packages in regions with a higher cost of living. Experience greatly influences earnings, with operators in supervisory roles typically commanding higher wages. Additionally, sectors such as pharmaceuticals and chemicals tend to offer more competitive salaries compared to general manufacturing.
Job seekers should consider these factors when exploring opportunities. Understanding salary ranges by state and industry can lead to informed decisions about where to apply and negotiate compensation effectively.
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Where can a Production Operator earn more?
Production operator salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level production operator | $25,000 | $12.02 |
| Mid-level production operator | $27,600 | $13.27 |
| Senior-level production operator | $41,600 | $20.02 |
Production operator salary estimates from across the web
Average production operator salary by state
The average production operator salary in Massachusetts, Washington, and New Hampshire are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average production operator salary states are Arkansas, Kentucky, and West Virginia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for production operators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $41,114 | $19.77 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $42,873 | $20.61 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $40,782 | $19.61 |
| 4 | Iowa | $38,804 | $18.66 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | $38,320 | $18.42 |
| 6 | Nevada | $40,498 | $19.47 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $40,411 | $19.43 |
| 8 | Ohio | $37,155 | $17.86 |
| 9 | Illinois | $39,170 | $18.83 |
| 10 | Nebraska | $37,772 | $18.16 |
| 11 | Indiana | $36,492 | $17.54 |
| 12 | Vermont | $38,760 | $18.63 |
| 13 | Missouri | $38,391 | $18.46 |
| 14 | Washington | $41,610 | $20.00 |
| 15 | Montana | $40,595 | $19.52 |
| 16 | South Dakota | $38,442 | $18.48 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $40,590 | $19.51 |
| 18 | Maine | $36,912 | $17.75 |
| 19 | Oregon | $39,108 | $18.80 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $38,801 | $18.65 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $41,111 | $19.76 |
| 22 | Alaska | $39,334 | $18.91 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $35,662 | $17.15 |
| 24 | California | $39,210 | $18.85 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $38,190 | $18.36 |
| 26 | Colorado | $39,125 | $18.81 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $35,578 | $17.10 |
| 28 | Utah | $35,360 | $17.00 |
| 29 | Maryland | $38,429 | $18.48 |
| 30 | Arizona | $36,382 | $17.49 |
| 31 | Idaho | $35,835 | $17.23 |
| 32 | Louisiana | $36,429 | $17.51 |
| 33 | Mississippi | $34,326 | $16.50 |
| 34 | Kansas | $34,510 | $16.59 |
| 35 | New York | $37,617 | $18.09 |
| 36 | New Jersey | $35,086 | $16.87 |
| 37 | Michigan | $33,896 | $16.30 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $35,185 | $16.92 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $30,915 | $14.86 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $29,569 | $14.22 |
| 41 | Texas | $33,152 | $15.94 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $30,743 | $14.78 |
| 43 | Georgia | $30,860 | $14.84 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $29,998 | $14.42 |
| 45 | District of Columbia | $32,318 | $15.54 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $29,902 | $14.38 |
| 47 | Delaware | $32,701 | $15.72 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $29,056 | $13.97 |
| 49 | Alabama | $26,476 | $12.73 |
| 50 | Florida | $28,828 | $13.86 |
| 51 | Virginia | $27,134 | $13.05 |
Highest paying cities for production operators
The highest-paying cities for production operators are Bellevue, WA, Minneapolis, MN, and San Jose, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bellevue, WA | $41,668 | $20.03 |
| 2 | Minneapolis, MN | $40,790 | $19.61 |
| 3 | San Jose, CA | $39,821 | $19.14 |
| 4 | Saint Joseph, MO | $39,791 | $19.13 |
| 5 | Sioux City, IA | $39,366 | $18.93 |
| 6 | Denver, CO | $39,165 | $18.83 |
| 7 | Hillsboro, OR | $39,147 | $18.82 |
| 8 | Eau Claire, WI | $38,959 | $18.73 |
| 9 | Cleveland, OH | $38,470 | $18.50 |
| 10 | Lincoln, NE | $37,500 | $18.03 |
| 11 | Portland, ME | $37,044 | $17.81 |
| 12 | Monroe, LA | $36,810 | $17.70 |
| 13 | Phoenix, AZ | $36,477 | $17.54 |
| 14 | Allentown, PA | $36,103 | $17.36 |
| 15 | Indianapolis, IN | $35,976 | $17.30 |
| 16 | Ogden, UT | $35,484 | $17.06 |
| 17 | Kansas City, KS | $34,662 | $16.66 |
| 18 | Grand Rapids, MI | $34,247 | $16.46 |
| 19 | Grand Prairie, TX | $33,122 | $15.92 |
| 20 | Gainesville, GA | $31,181 | $14.99 |
Production Operators are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Production operator salary details
A production operator's salary ranges from $27,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $44,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a production operator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| 75th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
| Average | $35,185 | $2,932 | $17 |
| 25th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
| 10th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
Highest paying production operator jobs
The highest paying types of production operators are relief operator, production specialist, and process operator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly Operator | $31,928 | $2,661 | $15.35 | 87,293 |
| Cell Operator | $37,866 | $3,155 | $18.20 | 66,532 |
| Saw Operator | $32,319 | $2,693 | $15.54 | 58,465 |
| Molder Operator | $31,707 | $2,642 | $15.24 | 66,217 |
| Relief Operator | $42,693 | $3,558 | $20.53 | 64,469 |
| Operator | $37,928 | $3,161 | $18.23 | 159,077 |
Top companies hiring production operators now:
Which companies pay production operators the most?
Production operator salaries at BD and H.B. Fuller are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average production operator salary at companies like OMNOVA Solutions and Nestlé are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BD | $47,176 | $22.68 |
| 2 | H.B. Fuller | $46,927 | $22.56 |
| 3 | OMNOVA Solutions | $45,592 | $21.92 |
| 4 | Nestlé | $45,265 | $21.76 |
| 5 | Pfizer | $44,374 | $21.33 |
| 6 | Dairy Farmers of America | $43,456 | $20.89 |
| 7 | Seneca Foods | $43,450 | $20.89 |
| 8 | Darigold | $43,384 | $20.86 |
| 9 | BASF | $42,922 | $20.64 |
| 10 | Wells Enterprises | $42,868 | $20.61 |
| 11 | Relevante | $42,815 | $20.58 |
| 12 | $42,748 | $20.55 | |
| 13 | Mars | $42,708 | $20.53 |
| 14 | Evonik | $42,613 | $20.49 |
| 15 | Ecolab | $42,277 | $20.33 |
| 16 | Danone Sverige | $42,261 | $20.32 |
| 17 | A.W. Chesterton | $42,240 | $20.31 |
| 18 | Conagra Foods | $42,220 | $20.30 |
| 19 | Michelman | $42,145 | $20.26 |
| 20 | Anheuser-Busch | $42,110 | $20.25 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Production Operator salary by industry
The average production operator salary varies across industries:
- The average production operator salary in the manufacturing industry is $37,865, the highest of any industry.
- The average production operator salary in the finance industry is $37,630.
- Production operators in the automotive industry earn an average salary of $35,732, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for production operators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $37,865 | $18.20 |
| 2 | Finance | $37,630 | $18.09 |
| 3 | Technology | $36,221 | $17.41 |
| 4 | Automotive | $35,732 | $17.18 |
High paying production operator jobs
Production operator salary trends
The average production operator salary has risen by $5,260 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average production operator earned $29,925 annually, but today, they earn $35,185 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for production operators over the last decade.
Compare production operator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average production operator salary over time
Compare production operator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Production operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $35,200 | $16.92 | +5.2% |
| 2024 | $33,400 | $16.04 | -1.2% |
| 2023 | $33,800 | $16.24 | +4.2% |
| 2022 | $32,400 | $15.55 | +0.4% |
| 2021 | $32,200 | $15.49 | +2.9% |
Recently added production operator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discover Financial Services | Production Operator | Salt Lake City, UT | 06/30/2025 | $37,566 |
| Peopleready | Production Operator | Osceola, WI | 06/30/2025 | $37,566 |
| Teijinautomotive | Production Operator | Seguin, TX | 06/30/2025 | $36,523 |
| Teijinautomotive | Production Operator | Sarepta, LA | 06/30/2025 | $36,230 |
| Spartronics LLC | Production Operator I-2Nd Shift | North Logan, UT | 06/30/2025 | $37,566 |
| First Solar | Production Operator (Days) | Trinity, AL | 06/29/2025 | $31,305 |
| General Dynamics Ordnance & Tactical Systems | Production Operator I (First Shift) | Red Lion, PA | 06/29/2025 | $45,142 |
| Minerals Technologies | Wire Production Operator | Canaan, CT | 06/29/2025 | $57,580 |
| Olin | White Flyer Production Operator (S/2) | Webb City, MO | 06/29/2025 | $41,051 |
| Olin | White Flyer Production Operator S/2 or S/3 | Knox, IN | 06/29/2025 | $41,051 |
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