Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

51-0000 Production Occupations (Major Group)

This major group 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 ; Butchers and Meat Cutters ; Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers ; Slaughterers and Meat Packers ; Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders ; Food Batchmakers ; Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders ; Food Processing Workers, All Other ; Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ; Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ; Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ; Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ; Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ; Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ; Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ; Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ; Machinists ; Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders ; Pourers and Casters, Metal ; Model Makers, Metal and Plastic ; Patternmakers, 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 ; Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers ; Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ; Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ; Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic ; Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ; Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners ; Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other ; Prepress Technicians and Workers ; Printing Press Operators ; Print Binding and Finishing Workers ; Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers ; Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials ; Sewing Machine Operators ; Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers ; Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders ; 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 ; Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers ; Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers ; Upholsterers ; Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers, All Other ; Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters ; Furniture Finishers ; Model Makers, Wood ; Patternmakers, 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 ; Chemical Plant and System Operators ; Gas Plant Operators ; Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers ; Plant and System Operators, All Other ; Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders ; Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ; Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ; Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand ; 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 ; Dental Laboratory Technicians ; Medical Appliance Technicians ; Ophthalmic 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 Operators ; Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers ; Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders ; Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders ; Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders ; Etchers and Engravers ; Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic ; Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ; Tire Builders ; Helpers--Production Workers ; Production Workers, All Other

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National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this major group:

Employment (1)	Employment RSE (3)	Mean hourly wage	Mean annual wage (2)	Wage RSE (3)
9,158,980	0.3 %	$19.30	$40,140	0.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for this major group:

Percentile	10%	25%	50% (Median)	75%	90%
Hourly Wage	$11.14	$13.39	$17.31	$23.21	$30.41
Annual Wage (2)	$23,160	$27,860	$36,000	$48,270	$63,250

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Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Employment Services	702,580	19.09	$14.96	$31,130
Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	395,100	65.54	$19.35	$40,250
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)	377,160	50.14	$20.19	$42,000
Plastics Product Manufacturing	351,590	59.18	$17.55	$36,510
Animal Slaughtering and Processing	323,790	61.39	$15.20	$31,620

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing	174,120	74.35	$23.93	$49,770
Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing	2,100	71.28	$16.49	$34,290
Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing	115,350	70.20	$19.23	$40,000
Footwear Manufacturing	8,730	69.66	$15.49	$32,230
Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	254,270	69.35	$21.38	$44,470

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	47,180	12.27	$41.30	$85,910
Natural Gas Distribution	11,230	10.26	$40.12	$83,450
Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil	2,800	23.74	$38.11	$79,280
Other Pipeline Transportation	3,050	36.54	$34.89	$72,570
Postal Service (federal government)	140	0.02	$34.77	$72,310

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Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
California	836,780	48.14	0.77	$19.99	$41,580
Texas	705,670	56.77	0.91	$19.27	$40,090
Ohio	509,690	93.56	1.50	$19.12	$39,780
Michigan	476,190	109.61	1.76	$19.61	$40,790
Illinois	430,840	71.50	1.15	$19.26	$40,060

States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Indiana	386,740	125.82	2.02	$19.11	$39,750
Wisconsin	335,380	116.86	1.87	$19.23	$39,990
Alabama	219,280	111.07	1.78	$17.51	$36,410
Michigan	476,190	109.61	1.76	$19.61	$40,790
Kentucky	189,220	99.75	1.60	$19.09	$39,700

Top paying States for this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia	5,690	7.87	0.13	$27.24	$56,660
Wyoming	13,300	48.66	0.78	$27.13	$56,430
Washington	178,980	53.93	0.86	$23.67	$49,240
Alaska	9,810	30.95	0.50	$22.98	$47,790
Connecticut	93,440	56.12	0.90	$22.93	$47,700

Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	341,020	54.65	0.88	$19.00	$39,520
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	311,220	66.55	1.07	$19.22	$39,980
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	286,420	29.66	0.48	$20.25	$42,120
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	205,810	56.28	0.90	$18.30	$38,070
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	200,890	101.42	1.63	$20.75	$43,160
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	193,460	63.38	1.02	$21.50	$44,720
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	144,500	52.67	0.84	$17.73	$36,870
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	129,290	65.58	1.05	$20.80	$43,260
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	117,340	40.79	0.65	$20.82	$43,310
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH	107,040	38.26	0.61	$21.44	$44,590