Best states for a production worker

Q: What is the best state for production workers?

The best state to be a production worker is New Hampshire based on production worker salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for production workers?

The highest paying state for production workers is Florida based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for production workers?

The worst state for production workers is Virginia, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for production workers? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for production worker jobs.This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for production worker jobs.

In order to get you the best states for production workers, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.If you are currently seeking employment as a production worker, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.

10 best states for production workers in 2026

1. New Hampshire
Total production worker jobs: 540
Average annual salary: $33,483
Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $41,000
Location Quotient:
1.58
Production worker jobs in New Hampshire
2. Ohio
Total production worker jobs: 2,602
Average annual salary: $32,143
Lowest 10 percent earn: $25,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $41,000
Location Quotient:
1.3
Production worker jobs in Ohio
3. Washington
Total production worker jobs: 1,428
Average annual salary: $36,291
Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $44,000
Location Quotient:
1
Production worker jobs in Washington
4. Vermont
Total production worker jobs: 128
Average annual salary: $34,965
Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $42,000
Location Quotient:
0.85
Production worker jobs in Vermont
5. Missouri
Total production worker jobs: 1,470
Average annual salary: $32,554
Lowest 10 percent earn: $25,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $41,000
Location Quotient:
1.28
Production worker jobs in Missouri
6. North Dakota
Total production worker jobs: 122
Average annual salary: $35,153
Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $43,000
Location Quotient:
0.67
Production worker jobs in North Dakota
7. Connecticut
Total production worker jobs: 728
Average annual salary: $34,405
Lowest 10 percent earn: $27,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $43,000
Location Quotient:
1.12
Production worker jobs in Connecticut
8. Oregon
Total production worker jobs: 950
Average annual salary: $33,699
Lowest 10 percent earn: $27,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $41,000
Location Quotient:
1.17
Production worker jobs in Oregon
9. Minnesota
Total production worker jobs: 1,496
Average annual salary: $33,220
Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $41,000
Location Quotient:
1.15
Production worker jobs in Minnesota
10. Indiana
Total production worker jobs: 1,662
Average annual salary: $31,307
Lowest 10 percent earn: $24,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $40,000
Location Quotient:
1.29
Production worker jobs in Indiana

Production worker jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a production worker

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a production worker

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	New Hampshire	$33,483	$26,000	1,342,795	540
2	Ohio	$32,143	$25,000	11,658,609	2,602
3	Washington	$36,291	$29,000	7,405,743	1,428
4	Vermont	$34,965	$28,000	623,657	128
5	Missouri	$32,554	$25,000	6,113,532	1,470
6	North Dakota	$35,153	$28,000	755,393	122
7	Connecticut	$34,405	$27,000	3,588,184	728
8	Oregon	$33,699	$27,000	4,142,776	950
9	Minnesota	$33,220	$26,000	5,576,606	1,496
10	Indiana	$31,307	$24,000	6,666,818	1,662
11	Nevada	$33,554	$26,000	2,998,039	291
12	Maine	$33,341	$27,000	1,335,907	226
13	Wisconsin	$31,144	$24,000	5,795,483	1,606
14	Massachusetts	$35,014	$28,000	6,859,819	1,033
15	Iowa	$30,875	$24,000	3,145,711	855
16	New Mexico	$32,333	$25,000	2,088,070	324
17	South Dakota	$30,320	$23,000	869,666	275
18	Idaho	$31,822	$25,000	1,716,943	323
19	Nebraska	$30,165	$23,000	1,920,076	619
20	Colorado	$32,684	$25,000	5,607,154	1,059
21	California	$32,843	$25,000	39,536,653	6,219
22	Illinois	$32,163	$25,000	12,802,023	2,006
23	Pennsylvania	$30,165	$23,000	12,805,537	2,642
24	New York	$33,288	$26,000	19,849,399	1,276
25	South Carolina	$28,775	$22,000	5,024,369	1,153
26	Maryland	$33,072	$25,000	6,052,177	691
27	Tennessee	$27,768	$21,000	6,715,984	1,735
28	Arizona	$30,823	$24,000	7,016,270	765
29	Wyoming	$30,721	$24,000	579,315	31
30	Rhode Island	$30,516	$24,000	1,059,639	184
31	Michigan	$29,045	$22,000	9,962,311	1,537
32	Louisiana	$29,272	$22,000	4,684,333	606
33	Montana	$30,997	$24,000	1,050,493	91
34	North Carolina	$28,146	$21,000	10,273,419	2,229
35	West Virginia	$29,266	$22,000	1,815,857	138
36	Utah	$27,715	$22,000	3,101,833	747
37	Kentucky	$26,892	$20,000	4,454,189	923
38	Texas	$27,969	$21,000	28,304,596	3,854
39	Mississippi	$28,252	$21,000	2,984,100	323
40	Hawaii	$30,612	$26,000	1,427,538	29
41	New Jersey	$29,602	$23,000	9,005,644	1,163
42	Alaska	$29,817	$26,000	739,795	41
43	Kansas	$27,914	$21,000	2,913,123	500
44	Georgia	$24,791	$18,000	10,429,379	2,457
45	Oklahoma	$25,933	$20,000	3,930,864	567
46	Arkansas	$27,076	$20,000	3,004,279	269
47	District of Columbia	$28,758	$22,000	693,972	133
48	Alabama	$23,967	$18,000	4,874,747	864
49	Florida	$23,954	$18,000	20,984,400	3,236
50	Delaware	$25,760	$20,000	961,939	182
51	Virginia	$24,098	$18,000	8,470,020	1,597

Highest paying states for production workers

Rank	State	Avg. Production Worker Salary
1	New Hampshire	$33,483
2	Ohio	$32,143
3	Washington	$36,291
4	Vermont	$34,965
5	Missouri	$32,554
6	North Dakota	$35,153
7	Connecticut	$34,405
8	Oregon	$33,699
9	Minnesota	$33,220
10	Indiana	$31,307
11	Nevada	$33,554
12	Maine	$33,341
13	Wisconsin	$31,144
14	Massachusetts	$35,014
15	Iowa	$30,875
16	New Mexico	$32,333
17	South Dakota	$30,320
18	Idaho	$31,822
19	Nebraska	$30,165
20	Colorado	$32,684
21	California	$32,843
22	Illinois	$32,163
23	Pennsylvania	$30,165
24	New York	$33,288
25	South Carolina	$28,775
26	Maryland	$33,072
27	Tennessee	$27,768
28	Arizona	$30,823
29	Wyoming	$30,721
30	Rhode Island	$30,516
31	Michigan	$29,045
32	Louisiana	$29,272
33	Montana	$30,997
34	North Carolina	$28,146
35	West Virginia	$29,266
36	Utah	$27,715
37	Kentucky	$26,892
38	Texas	$27,969
39	Mississippi	$28,252
40	Hawaii	$30,612
41	New Jersey	$29,602
42	Alaska	$29,817
43	Kansas	$27,914
44	Georgia	$24,791
45	Oklahoma	$25,933
46	Arkansas	$27,076
47	District of Columbia	$28,758
48	Alabama	$23,967
49	Florida	$23,954
50	Delaware	$25,760
51	Virginia	$24,098

Production worker best states FAQs

What is the best state for production workers?

What is the highest paying state for production workers?

What is the worst state for production workers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common production and manufacturing questions.

Search for production worker jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse production and manufacturing jobs

Total production worker jobs:	540
Average annual salary:	$33,483
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$26,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$41,000
Location Quotient:	1.58

Best states for a production worker

10 best states for production workers in 2026

1. New Hampshire

2. Ohio

3. Washington

4. Vermont

5. Missouri

6. North Dakota

7. Connecticut

8. Oregon

9. Minnesota

10. Indiana