Production Occupations

Assemblers and fabricators build finished products and the parts that go into them.

Bakers mix ingredients according to recipes in order to make breads, pastries, and other baked goods.

Butchers cut, trim, and package meat for retail sale.

Dental and ophthalmic laboratory technicians and medical appliance technicians make or repair dentures, eyeglasses, prosthetics, and related products.

Food processing equipment workers operate machinery that mixes, cooks, or processes ingredients for manufacturing food products.

Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers design, construct, adjust, repair, appraise and sell jewelry and related products.

Machinists and tool and die makers set up and operate equipment to produce precision metal parts, instruments, and tools.

Metal and plastic machine workers set up and operate equipment that cuts, shapes, and forms metal and plastic materials or pieces.

Painting and coating workers apply finishes, often using machines, to a range of products.

Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers control the systems that generate and distribute electric power.

Quality control inspectors examine products and materials for defects or deviations from specifications.

Semiconductor processing technicians perform tasks in the manufacture of electronic semiconductors, commonly known as integrated circuits or microchips, that are used in cars, smartphones, and other everyday devices.

Stationary engineers and boiler operators control stationary engines, boilers, or other mechanical equipment.

Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators manage a system of machines to transfer or treat water or wastewater.

Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers use hand-held or remotely controlled equipment to join, repair, or cut metal parts and products.

Woodworkers manufacture a variety of products, such as cabinets and furniture, using wood, veneers, and laminates.