SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Help production workers by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include supplying or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment. Apprentice workers are classified in the appropriate production occupations (51-0000).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-9198.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $31,140 | $2,595 | $599 | $14.97 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $35,220 | $2,935 | $677 | $16.93 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $39,070 | $3,256 | $751 | $18.78 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $45,990 | $3,832 | $884 | $22.11 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $53,410 | $4,451 | $1,027 | $25.68 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Helpers--Production Workers is $39,070, which is 23% lower. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 92 by median pay. With 165,700 jobs, it makes up about 11 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Helpers--Production Workers pay by state
The highest median pay was in North Dakota ($46,170), Montana ($46,110) and Iowa ($45,560). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($22,780), Guam ($29,520) and Mississippi ($33,880). The most jobs were in Texas (30,470), California (16,730) and Alabama (7,230). The occupation is most concentrated in Arkansas, where its share of all jobs is 4.9 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 220 | $46,170 | $46,030 | $22.20 |
| Montana | 220 | $46,110 | $43,500 | $22.17 |
| Iowa | 2,070 | $45,560 | $45,840 | $21.91 |
| Colorado | 1,350 | $45,550 | $45,190 | $21.90 |
| Washington | 3,620 | $45,450 | $47,510 | $21.85 |
| Oregon | 2,420 | $45,390 | $45,850 | $21.82 |
| Connecticut | 1,400 | $45,260 | $45,890 | $21.76 |
| Wisconsin | 2,900 | $45,100 | $45,150 | $21.68 |
| Nebraska | 700 | $45,020 | $41,850 | $21.65 |
| Minnesota | 2,570 | $44,720 | $44,510 | $21.50 |
| Rhode Island | 210 | $44,720 | $43,840 | $21.50 |
| Maryland | 1,650 | $44,680 | $46,100 | $21.48 |
| Hawaii | 230 | $44,380 | $47,470 | $21.34 |
| Maine | 470 | $44,120 | $45,230 | $21.21 |
| California | 16,730 | $43,970 | $46,150 | $21.14 |
| New York | 3,810 | $43,540 | $45,020 | $20.93 |
| New Hampshire | 690 | $42,740 | $41,330 | $20.55 |
| Alaska | 280 | $42,530 | $46,710 | $20.45 |
| Massachusetts | 1,790 | $42,280 | $44,300 | $20.33 |
| Indiana | 2,450 | $42,210 | $41,730 | $20.29 |
| Kentucky | 2,900 | $42,130 | $43,160 | $20.26 |
| Michigan | 3,610 | $41,660 | $42,050 | $20.03 |
| Illinois | 5,210 | $41,480 | $44,570 | $19.94 |
| Pennsylvania | 6,450 | $41,060 | $42,560 | $19.74 |
| Missouri | 6,250 | $40,580 | $42,900 | $19.51 |
| Wyoming | 280 | $40,200 | $46,500 | $19.33 |
| Nevada | 680 | $39,730 | $40,450 | $19.10 |
| Arizona | 1,350 | $39,680 | $40,520 | $19.08 |
| Ohio | 4,280 | $39,600 | $41,770 | $19.04 |
| Vermont | 270 | $39,540 | $45,030 | $19.01 |
| North Carolina | 4,350 | $39,410 | $40,840 | $18.95 |
| New Jersey | 4,450 | $39,290 | $42,020 | $18.89 |
| West Virginia | 670 | $39,190 | $42,260 | $18.84 |
| Delaware | 230 | $38,380 | $39,980 | $18.45 |
| Tennessee | 5,270 | $38,330 | $40,090 | $18.43 |
| Idaho | 1,140 | $38,240 | $39,950 | $18.39 |
| Florida | 5,010 | $37,950 | $39,530 | $18.25 |
| Virginia | 3,900 | $37,740 | $39,830 | $18.14 |
| Kansas | 1,430 | $37,320 | $39,350 | $17.94 |
| Utah | 1,000 | $37,110 | $40,160 | $17.84 |
| South Carolina | 1,950 | $36,610 | $37,710 | $17.60 |
| Texas | 30,470 | $36,610 | $37,550 | $17.60 |
| Louisiana | 3,710 | $36,400 | $38,150 | $17.50 |
| Georgia | 4,480 | $36,280 | $38,260 | $17.44 |
| Oklahoma | 2,200 | $36,240 | $36,420 | $17.43 |
| Alabama | 7,230 | $35,910 | $36,060 | $17.26 |
| New Mexico | 810 | $35,650 | $37,150 | $17.14 |
| Arkansas | 6,760 | $35,540 | $37,610 | $17.09 |
| Mississippi | 3,540 | $33,880 | $35,890 | $16.29 |
| Guam | 310 | $29,520 | $29,140 | $14.19 |
| Puerto Rico | 1,510 | $22,780 | $24,930 | $10.95 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Food Processing Workers, All Other$39,680 a year
- Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$39,530 a year
- Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians$39,460 a year
- Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$38,760 a year
- Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$38,670 a year
- Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$38,300 a year
Common questions
How much do Helpers--Production Workers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $39,070 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $31,140 and the highest-paid 10% more than $53,410.
How many people work as Helpers--Production Workers?
About 165,700 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.