Helpers--Production Workers Salaries by State

Q: How much do helpers--production workers make in the U.S.?

The median helpers--production workers salary in the United States is $39,070 per year (mean $41,120), and about 80% earn between $31,140 and $53,410.

Q: How much do helpers--production workers make per hour?

Roughly $20 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $41,120 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Q: Which state pays helpers--production workers the most?

Washington has the highest average pay for helpers--production workers at $47,510 per year (median $45,450).

Q: What is the job outlook for helpers--production workers?

Employment is projected to change -8.9% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 23,600 openings per year.

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for helpers--production workerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $41,120 ≈ $20/hr

National median salary $39,070

Total employment 165,700 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth -8.9% Decline

Annual openings 23,600 per year (avg)

Employment 2024→2034 168,500 → 153,500 (-15,000)

Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

AK ME WI VT NH WA ID MT ND MN IL MI NY MA OR NV WY SD IA IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA UT CO NE MO KY WV VA MD DE AZ NM KS AR TN NC SC DC OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL

Mean annual wage $36,000–$39,000 $39,000–$41,000 $41,000–$43,000 $43,000–$45,000 $45,000–$48,000 U.S. mean $41,120

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

Washington$47,510
Hawaii$47,470
Alaska$46,710
Wyoming$46,500
California$46,150

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

Mississippi$35,890
Alabama$36,060
Oklahoma$36,420
New Mexico$37,150
Texas$37,550

State Rankings

⇄ Compare specific states

#	State	Mean	Median	Hourly	vs. U.S.	Employment
1	Washington	$47,510	$45,450	$23	+15.5%	3,620
2	Hawaii	$47,470	$44,380	$23	+15.4%	230
3	Alaska	$46,710	$42,530	$22	+13.6%	280
4	Wyoming	$46,500	$40,200	$22	+13.1%	280
5	California	$46,150	$43,970	$22	+12.2%	16,730
6	Maryland	$46,100	$44,680	$22	+12.1%	1,650
7	North Dakota	$46,030	$46,170	$22	+11.9%	220
8	Connecticut	$45,890	$45,260	$22	+11.6%	1,400
9	Oregon	$45,850	$45,390	$22	+11.5%	2,420
10	Iowa	$45,840	$45,560	$22	+11.5%	2,070
11	Maine	$45,230	$44,120	$22	+10%	470
12	Colorado	$45,190	$45,550	$22	+9.9%	1,350
13	Wisconsin	$45,150	$45,100	$22	+9.8%	2,900
14	Vermont	$45,030	$39,540	$22	+9.5%	270
15	New York	$45,020	$43,540	$22	+9.5%	3,810
16	Illinois	$44,570	$41,480	$21	+8.4%	5,210
17	Minnesota	$44,510	$44,720	$21	+8.2%	2,570
18	Massachusetts	$44,300	$42,280	$21	+7.7%	1,790
19	Rhode Island	$43,840	$44,720	$21	+6.6%	210
20	Montana	$43,500	$46,110	$21	+5.8%	220
21	Kentucky	$43,160	$42,130	$21	+5%	2,900
22	Missouri	$42,900	$40,580	$21	+4.3%	6,250
23	Pennsylvania	$42,560	$41,060	$20	+3.5%	6,450
24	West Virginia	$42,260	$39,190	$20	+2.8%	670
25	Michigan	$42,050	$41,660	$20	+2.3%	3,610
26	New Jersey	$42,020	$39,290	$20	+2.2%	4,450
27	Nebraska	$41,850	$45,020	$20	+1.8%	700
28	Ohio	$41,770	$39,600	$20	+1.6%	4,280
29	Indiana	$41,730	$42,210	$20	+1.5%	2,450
30	New Hampshire	$41,330	$42,740	$20	+0.5%	690
31	North Carolina	$40,840	$39,410	$20	-0.7%	4,350
32	Arizona	$40,520	$39,680	$19	-1.5%	1,350
33	Nevada	$40,450	$39,730	$19	-1.6%	680
34	Utah	$40,160	$37,110	$19	-2.3%	1,000
35	Tennessee	$40,090	$38,330	$19	-2.5%	5,270
36	Delaware	$39,980	$38,380	$19	-2.8%	230
37	Idaho	$39,950	$38,240	$19	-2.8%	1,140
38	Virginia	$39,830	$37,740	$19	-3.1%	3,900
39	Florida	$39,530	$37,950	$19	-3.9%	5,010
40	Kansas	$39,350	$37,320	$19	-4.3%	1,430
41	Georgia	$38,260	$36,280	$18	-7%	4,480
42	Louisiana	$38,150	$36,400	$18	-7.2%	3,710
43	South Carolina	$37,710	$36,610	$18	-8.3%	1,950
44	Arkansas	$37,610	$35,540	$18	-8.5%	6,760
45	Texas	$37,550	$36,610	$18	-8.7%	30,470
46	New Mexico	$37,150	$35,650	$18	-9.7%	810
47	Oklahoma	$36,420	$36,240	$18	-11.4%	2,200
48	Alabama	$36,060	$35,910	$17	-12.3%	7,230
49	Mississippi	$35,890	$33,880	$17	-12.7%	3,540

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 428 metro areas.

#	Metro area	Median	Mean	Employment
1	Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area	$60,620	$52,650	60
2	Reading, PA	$54,550	$46,470	340
3	Albany, OR	$52,290	$52,010	200
4	Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	$52,050	$48,440	200
5	Oshkosh-Neenah, WI	$50,480	$51,570	290
6	Fargo, ND-MN	$50,190	$50,140	80
7	Fond du Lac, WI	$50,110	$46,970	60
8	Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$49,920	$51,270	230
9	New Haven, CT	$49,900	$48,850	320
10	Lewiston, ID-WA	$49,680	$47,750	70

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing helpers--production workerss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#	Industry	Median	Mean	Employment
1	Rail Transportation	$89,970	$75,980	70
2	Rail Transportation	$89,970	$75,980	70
3	Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation	$70,340	$64,600	40
4	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$68,120	$63,310	110
5	Support Activities for Water Transportation	$65,650	$62,540	110
6	Utilities	$65,200	$59,430	170
7	Sector 22 - Utilities	$65,200	$59,430	170
8	Hospitals, Privately Owned	$57,220	$54,530	40
9	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$52,310	$52,320	280
10	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$52,310	$52,320	280
11	Rubber Product Manufacturing	$51,650	$55,210	880
12	Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying	$51,320	$51,850	200

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K

51,358

$10-20k

15,825

$20-30k

12,783

$30-40k

12,748

$40-50k

7,014

$50-60k

3,307

$60-70k

1,182

$70-80k

1,667

$80-90k

811

$90-100k

417

$100-110k

284

$110-120k

$140-150k

100

$180-190k

$200k+

514

Pay by age band

16-24

$9,343

25-34

$20,487

35-44

$22,898

45-54

$28,163

55-64

$34,313

65+

$12,002

Education level

Regular high school diploma

$21,431

1 or more years of college credit, no degree

$17,656

Some college, but less than 1 year

$16,062

GED or alternative credential

$11,250

Grade 11

$7,241

Bachelors Degree

$21,444

Associates Degree

$22,327

Grade 10

$6,693

No schooling completed

$22,490

12th grade - no diploma

$11,371

Grade 8

$26,119

Grade 9

$11,729

Grade 6

$30,818

Masters Degree

$97,063

Professional degree

$24,835

Grade 7

$23,630

Grade 5

$28,491

Grade 2

$31,274

Grade 4

$3,989

Kindergarten

$31,342

Grade 3

$18,809

Grade 1

$20,390

Doctorate degree

$19,366

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time

42,651 · $37,417

Part-time

27,389 · $10,767

Race / ethnicity

White

$18,209

Two or More Races

$21,341

Other

$25,372

Black

$16,530

Asian

$12,380

American Indian

$17,234

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

$2,308

Alaska Native

$446

American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races

$16,261

Top fields of study

Commercial Art And Graphic Design

$22,715

General Education

$33,165

General Business

$71,629

Economics

$150,520

English Language And Literature

$6,708

Political Science And Government

$12,284

Psychology

$4,841

Community And Public Health

$15,293

Top Skills

Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).

Monitoring

2.9

Active Listening

2.9

Operations Monitoring

2.8

Critical Thinking

2.8

Speaking

2.8

Operation and Control

2.6

Coordination

2.6

Reading Comprehension

2.6

Quality Control Analysis

2.6

Social Perceptiveness

2.6

Complex Problem Solving

2.3

Judgment and Decision Making

2.3

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do helpers--production workers make in the U.S.?

The median helpers--production workers salary in the United States is $39,070 per year (mean $41,120), and about 80% earn between $31,140 and $53,410.

How much do helpers--production workers make per hour?

Roughly $20 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $41,120 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays helpers--production workers the most?

Washington has the highest average pay for helpers--production workers at $47,510 per year (median $45,450).

What is the job outlook for helpers--production workers?

Employment is projected to change -8.9% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 23,600 openings per year.