Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
51-0000 Production Occupations (Major Group)
Production Occupations comprises the following occupations:
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers;
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers;
Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers;
Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers;
Engine and Other Machine Assemblers;
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters;
Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators;
Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters;
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators;
Bakers;
Slaughterers and Meat Packers;
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers;
Butchers and Meat Cutters;
Food Processing Workers, All Other;
Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders;
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders;
Food Batchmakers;
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Machinists;
Pourers and Casters, Metal;
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders;
Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic;
Model Makers, Metal and Plastic;
Foundry Mold and Coremakers;
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Tool and Die Makers;
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers;
Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other;
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners;
Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic;
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic;
Prepress Technicians and Workers;
Print Binding and Finishing Workers;
Printing Press Operators;
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers;
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials;
Sewing Machine Operators;
Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders;
Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers;
Sewers, Hand;
Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers;
Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders;
Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers, All Other;
Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers;
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers;
Upholsterers;
Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters;
Furniture Finishers;
Patternmakers, Wood;
Model Makers, Wood;
Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood;
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing;
Woodworkers, All Other;
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators;
Power Distributors and Dispatchers;
Power Plant Operators;
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators;
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators;
Plant and System Operators, All Other;
Gas Plant Operators;
Chemical Plant and System Operators;
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers;
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders;
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand;
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand;
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders;
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers;
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers;
Medical Appliance Technicians;
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians;
Dental Laboratory Technicians;
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders;
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers;
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Semiconductor Processing Technicians;
Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators;
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers;
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators;
Production Workers, All Other;
Etchers and Engravers;
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders;
Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders;
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders;
Tire Builders;
Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic;
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders;
Helpers--Production Workers
National estimates for Production Occupations
Industry profile for Production Occupations
Geographic profile for Production Occupations
National estimates for Production Occupations:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Production Occupations:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 8,408,030 |
0.2 % |
$ 20.71 |
$ 43,070 |
0.2 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Production Occupations:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 13.26 |
$ 14.44 |
$ 18.13 |
$ 23.23 |
$ 29.96 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 27,590 |
$ 30,040 |
$ 37,710 |
$ 48,310 |
$ 62,310 |
Industry profile for Production Occupations:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Production Occupations are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Production Occupations, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Production Occupations:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Employment Services |
572,290 |
16.41 |
$ 15.10 |
$ 31,410 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) |
352,070 |
50.24 |
$ 21.88 |
$ 45,510 |
| Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing |
344,840 |
64.10 |
$ 20.47 |
$ 42,580 |
| Plastics Product Manufacturing |
342,240 |
58.57 |
$ 18.77 |
$ 39,040 |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing |
304,460 |
58.50 |
$ 16.64 |
$ 34,600 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Production Occupations:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Motor Vehicle Manufacturing |
186,530 |
76.34 |
$ 25.87 |
$ 53,810 |
| Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills |
16,440 |
69.04 |
$ 16.26 |
$ 33,830 |
| Footwear Manufacturing |
7,450 |
68.49 |
$ 15.73 |
$ 32,710 |
| Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing |
105,620 |
67.63 |
$ 21.08 |
$ 43,850 |
| Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing |
219,370 |
67.50 |
$ 22.73 |
$ 47,280 |
Top paying industries for Production Occupations:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution |
43,880 |
11.66 |
$ 45.56 |
$ 94,770 |
| Scheduled Air Transportation |
420 |
0.11 |
$ 44.60 |
$ 92,780 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil |
3,340 |
29.16 |
$ 43.46 |
$ 90,400 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
12,760 |
11.62 |
$ 42.73 |
$ 88,870 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction |
6,290 |
5.91 |
$ 41.21 |
$ 85,710 |
Geographic profile for Production Occupations:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Production Occupations are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Production Occupations, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Production Occupations:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
799,620 |
48.37 |
0.81 |
$ 21.83 |
$ 45,400 |
| Texas |
630,880 |
51.60 |
0.86 |
$ 20.55 |
$ 42,740 |
| Ohio |
466,570 |
89.71 |
1.50 |
$ 20.18 |
$ 41,980 |
| Michigan |
416,810 |
102.67 |
1.72 |
$ 20.82 |
$ 43,300 |
| Illinois |
383,640 |
68.28 |
1.14 |
$ 20.82 |
$ 43,310 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Production Occupations:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Indiana |
355,540 |
119.17 |
2.00 |
$ 21.06 |
$ 43,800 |
| Wisconsin |
306,070 |
111.10 |
1.86 |
$ 20.84 |
$ 43,350 |
| Alabama |
200,950 |
104.22 |
1.75 |
$ 18.85 |
$ 39,210 |
| Michigan |
416,810 |
102.67 |
1.72 |
$ 20.82 |
$ 43,300 |
| Kentucky |
181,820 |
98.90 |
1.66 |
$ 19.89 |
$ 41,360 |
Top paying states for Production Occupations:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| District of Columbia |
4,670 |
7.05 |
0.12 |
$ 32.29 |
$ 67,170 |
| Wyoming |
11,770 |
45.18 |
0.76 |
$ 28.29 |
$ 58,840 |
| Alaska |
9,630 |
32.55 |
0.55 |
$ 25.93 |
$ 53,930 |
| North Dakota |
22,200 |
56.19 |
0.94 |
$ 24.89 |
$ 51,780 |
| Washington |
158,120 |
49.32 |
0.83 |
$ 24.66 |
$ 51,280 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Production Occupations:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
302,280 |
52.85 |
0.89 |
$ 20.86 |
$ 43,380 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
271,070 |
64.04 |
1.07 |
$ 21.31 |
$ 44,320 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
242,220 |
27.91 |
0.47 |
$ 22.72 |
$ 47,260 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
183,560 |
51.15 |
0.86 |
$ 19.75 |
$ 41,070 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI |
175,010 |
97.14 |
1.63 |
$ 21.89 |
$ 45,540 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
164,580 |
56.81 |
0.95 |
$ 22.98 |
$ 47,790 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
126,930 |
49.05 |
0.82 |
$ 19.57 |
$ 40,710 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
118,810 |
65.18 |
1.09 |
$ 22.04 |
$ 45,840 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
107,300 |
40.42 |
0.68 |
$ 22.63 |
$ 47,080 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
100,040 |
38.70 |
0.65 |
$ 23.27 |
$ 48,400 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Production Occupations:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN |
48,490 |
362.62 |
6.08 |
$ 21.78 |
$ 45,290 |
| Sheboygan, WI |
13,270 |
229.30 |
3.84 |
$ 20.63 |
$ 42,900 |
| Dalton, GA |
14,000 |
224.13 |
3.76 |
$ 16.81 |
$ 34,960 |
| Kokomo, IN |
7,360 |
204.14 |
3.42 |
(8) |
(8) |
| Morristown, TN |
8,850 |
195.98 |
3.28 |
$ 17.29 |
$ 35,950 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC |
28,670 |
195.73 |
3.28 |
$ 18.17 |
$ 37,780 |
| Columbus, IN |
8,190 |
170.09 |
2.85 |
$ 19.84 |
$ 41,260 |
| Wausau, WI |
11,350 |
166.38 |
2.79 |
$ 21.37 |
$ 44,460 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI |
14,500 |
160.94 |
2.70 |
$ 22.02 |
$ 45,800 |
| Decatur, AL |
8,750 |
157.96 |
2.65 |
$ 21.81 |
$ 45,360 |
United States Department of Labor
