Helpers--Production Workers
Helpers--Production Workers (SOC 51-9198) earn a median $39,070 a year ($18.78 an hour) in the United States, with 165,700 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is North Dakota.
What helpers--production workers do
Production helpers assist machine operators and other production workers by performing duties that require less skill. They feed items into and take them off machines, conveyors, and other conveyances, supply or hold materials and tools, and clean the work area and equipment. Some place products into equipment or onto work surfaces for further processing, inspecting, or wrapping, and some start machines to begin production runs or watch equipment and alert the operator to malfunctions. Examining products for conformity to quality standards is another listed task. The titles listed reflect the department served, such as abrasive mixer helper or alodize machine helper. Helpers also lift raw materials, finished products, and packed items by hand or with hoists, and remove waste material and machine attachments. Apprentices, who follow a structured training program in a skilled trade, are not counted here and are classified with the trade they are learning.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, a high school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education reported by workers in this occupation.
Also called: Abrasive Mixer Helper, Acid Filler, Air and Water Filler, Aircraft Machinist Helper, Alodize Machine Helper.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $14.97 | $16.93 | $18.78 | $22.11 | $25.68 | $19.77 | 165,700 |
| Annual | $31,140 | $35,220 | $39,070 | $45,990 | $53,410 | $41,120 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where helpers--production workers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| North Dakota | Hourly | $14.87 | $15.00 | $22.20 | $28.24 | $29.32 | $22.13 | 220 | 0.52 | 0.49 |
| Annual | $30,940 | $31,200 | $46,170 | $58,750 | $60,980 | $46,030 | ||||
| Montana | Hourly | $16.00 | $18.49 | $22.17 | $23.00 | $24.37 | $20.91 | 220 | 0.44 | 0.41 |
| Annual | $33,280 | $38,460 | $46,110 | $47,850 | $50,690 | $43,500 | ||||
| Iowa | Hourly | $16.75 | $20.60 | $21.91 | $24.05 | $26.15 | $22.04 | 2,070 | 1.33 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $34,850 | $42,840 | $45,560 | $50,030 | $54,390 | $45,840 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $17.22 | $18.81 | $21.90 | $23.92 | $26.40 | $21.73 | 1,350 | 0.47 | 0.44 |
| Annual | $35,810 | $39,120 | $45,550 | $49,760 | $54,910 | $45,190 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $17.80 | $19.37 | $21.85 | $25.01 | $29.11 | $22.84 | 3,620 | 1.02 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $37,020 | $40,300 | $45,450 | $52,020 | $60,560 | $47,510 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $13.66 | $15.72 | $17.60 | $20.05 | $23.00 | $18.06 | 30,470 | 2.17 | 2.03 |
| Annual | $28,420 | $32,690 | $36,610 | $41,700 | $47,840 | $37,550 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $17.62 | $18.66 | $21.14 | $23.70 | $29.87 | $22.19 | 16,730 | 0.92 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $36,640 | $38,800 | $43,970 | $49,290 | $62,130 | $46,150 | ||||
| Alabama | Hourly | $13.01 | $14.81 | $17.26 | $18.47 | $22.04 | $17.34 | 7,230 | 3.42 | 3.21 |
| Annual | $27,060 | $30,800 | $35,910 | $38,430 | $45,840 | $36,060 | ||||
| Arkansas | Hourly | $16.48 | $16.64 | $17.09 | $18.44 | $21.44 | $18.08 | 6,760 | 5.18 | 4.86 |
| Annual | $34,270 | $34,600 | $35,540 | $38,360 | $44,600 | $37,610 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $14.96 | $17.84 | $19.74 | $22.71 | $26.23 | $20.46 | 6,450 | 1.06 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $31,110 | $37,120 | $41,060 | $47,230 | $54,550 | $42,560 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Reading, PA | Hourly | $13.74 | $18.69 | $26.23 | $26.23 | $26.23 | $22.34 | 340 | 1.93 | 1.81 |
| Annual | $28,590 | $38,870 | $54,550 | $54,550 | $54,550 | $46,470 | ||||
| Albany, OR | Hourly | $18.70 | $20.48 | $25.14 | $27.94 | $32.48 | $25.00 | 200 | 4.14 | 3.88 |
| Annual | $38,900 | $42,590 | $52,290 | $58,100 | $67,550 | $52,010 | ||||
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | Hourly | $14.93 | $20.09 | $25.02 | $26.15 | $26.15 | $23.29 | 200 | 0.51 | 0.48 |
| Annual | $31,060 | $41,790 | $52,050 | $54,390 | $54,390 | $48,440 | ||||
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | Hourly | $19.37 | $21.94 | $24.27 | $29.83 | $30.58 | $24.79 | 290 | 3.13 | 2.93 |
| Annual | $40,300 | $45,630 | $50,480 | $62,040 | $63,610 | $51,570 | ||||
| Fargo, ND-MN | Hourly | $14.87 | $24.13 | $24.13 | $28.25 | $28.25 | $24.11 | 80 | 0.57 | 0.53 |
| Annual | $30,930 | $50,190 | $50,190 | $58,770 | $58,770 | $50,140 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $13.85 | $16.08 | $18.22 | $20.43 | $23.39 | $18.43 | 8,640 | 2.13 | 2.00 |
| Annual | $28,800 | $33,450 | $37,890 | $42,490 | $48,660 | $38,340 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $13.94 | $16.00 | $17.93 | $20.55 | $23.11 | $18.35 | 8,120 | 2.47 | 2.32 |
| Annual | $28,990 | $33,280 | $37,290 | $42,740 | $48,080 | $38,160 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.51 | $18.29 | $20.43 | $22.76 | $28.82 | $21.73 | 6,810 | 1.09 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $36,420 | $38,030 | $42,490 | $47,350 | $59,940 | $45,190 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.00 | $17.35 | $19.70 | $22.81 | $28.71 | $21.08 | 4,780 | 0.50 | 0.47 |
| Annual | $33,280 | $36,090 | $40,970 | $47,440 | $59,720 | $43,850 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $17.54 | $18.92 | $19.94 | $22.10 | $24.35 | $20.77 | 3,710 | 0.82 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $36,490 | $39,340 | $41,480 | $45,970 | $50,660 | $43,210 | ||||
Top industries employing helpers--production workers
Animal Slaughtering and Processing employ 13.3% of helpers--production workers nationally (21,970 jobs) at a median $37,470 a year ($18.01 an hour), followed by Employment Services (10.4%) and Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) (5.2%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing NAICS 311600 | 21,970 | 13.3% | $37,470 | $18.01 |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 17,200 | 10.4% | $34,940 | $16.80 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) NAICS 3320A2 | 8,630 | 5.2% | $38,470 | $18.50 |
| Converted Paper Product Manufacturing NAICS 322200 | 8,420 | 5.1% | $45,200 | $21.73 |
| Printing and Related Support Activities NAICS 323100 | 7,810 | 4.7% | $37,080 | $17.83 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (165,700). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $30,000 for helpers--production workers in May 2021 and $39,070 in May 2025, with employment of 202,860 and 165,700.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $30,000 | $14.42 | 202,860 |
| May 2022 | $34,670 | $16.67 | 190,680 |
| May 2023 | $36,700 | $17.65 | 181,810 |
| May 2024 | $38,220 | $18.38 | 167,490 |
| May 2025 | $39,070 | $18.78 | 165,700 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
49 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota profile | $22.20 | $46,170 | $30,940 | $60,980 | 220 | 0.52 | 0.49 |
| 2 | Montana profile | $22.17 | $46,110 | $33,280 | $50,690 | 220 | 0.44 | 0.41 |
| 3 | Iowa profile | $21.91 | $45,560 | $34,850 | $54,390 | 2,070 | 1.33 | 1.25 |
| 4 | Colorado profile | $21.90 | $45,550 | $35,810 | $54,910 | 1,350 | 0.47 | 0.44 |
| 5 | Washington profile | $21.85 | $45,450 | $37,020 | $60,560 | 3,620 | 1.02 | 0.96 |
| 6 | Oregon profile | $21.82 | $45,390 | $35,560 | $56,850 | 2,420 | 1.23 | 1.15 |
| 7 | Connecticut profile | $21.76 | $45,260 | $35,270 | $59,130 | 1,400 | 0.82 | 0.77 |
| 8 | Wisconsin profile | $21.68 | $45,100 | $34,670 | $61,010 | 2,900 | 0.99 | 0.92 |
| 9 | Nebraska profile | $21.65 | $45,020 | $28,080 | $54,470 | 700 | 0.69 | 0.64 |
| 10 | Minnesota profile | $21.50 | $44,720 | $36,040 | $57,270 | 2,570 | 0.87 | 0.82 |
| 11 | Rhode Island profile | $21.50 | $44,720 | $31,300 | $56,370 | 210 | 0.42 | 0.39 |
| 12 | Maryland profile | $21.48 | $44,680 | $32,210 | $61,060 | 1,650 | 0.60 | 0.56 |
| 13 | Hawaii profile | $21.34 | $44,380 | $35,430 | $62,820 | 230 | 0.36 | 0.34 |
| 14 | Maine profile | $21.21 | $44,120 | $33,180 | $57,910 | 470 | 0.74 | 0.70 |
| 15 | California profile | $21.14 | $43,970 | $36,640 | $62,130 | 16,730 | 0.92 | 0.86 |
| 16 | New York profile | $20.93 | $43,540 | $35,140 | $58,250 | 3,810 | 0.39 | 0.37 |
| 17 | New Hampshire profile | $20.55 | $42,740 | $35,480 | $47,340 | 690 | 1.00 | 0.94 |
| 18 | Alaska profile | $20.45 | $42,530 | $37,210 | $63,760 | 280 | 0.86 | 0.81 |
| 19 | Massachusetts profile | $20.33 | $42,280 | $34,390 | $58,050 | 1,790 | 0.49 | 0.46 |
| 20 | Indiana profile | $20.29 | $42,210 | $31,270 | $50,740 | 2,450 | 0.77 | 0.72 |
| 21 | Kentucky profile | $20.26 | $42,130 | $35,730 | $54,420 | 2,900 | 1.45 | 1.36 |
| 22 | Michigan profile | $20.03 | $41,660 | $32,240 | $50,240 | 3,610 | 0.82 | 0.77 |
| 23 | Illinois profile | $19.94 | $41,480 | $36,550 | $59,590 | 5,210 | 0.85 | 0.80 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania profile | $19.74 | $41,060 | $31,110 | $54,550 | 6,450 | 1.06 | 1.00 |
| 25 | Missouri profile | $19.51 | $40,580 | $34,330 | $56,160 | 6,250 | 2.13 | 2.00 |
| 26 | Wyoming profile | $19.33 | $40,200 | $30,060 | $63,840 | 280 | 0.99 | 0.93 |
| 27 | Nevada profile | $19.10 | $39,730 | $28,810 | $51,960 | 680 | 0.44 | 0.41 |
| 28 | Arizona profile | $19.08 | $39,680 | $33,930 | $48,740 | 1,350 | 0.42 | 0.39 |
| 29 | Ohio profile | $19.04 | $39,600 | $33,330 | $51,840 | 4,280 | 0.77 | 0.72 |
| 30 | Vermont profile | $19.01 | $39,540 | $34,790 | $63,190 | 270 | 0.90 | 0.84 |
| 31 | North Carolina profile | $18.95 | $39,410 | $30,350 | $50,580 | 4,350 | 0.88 | 0.83 |
| 32 | New Jersey profile | $18.89 | $39,290 | $32,440 | $58,520 | 4,450 | 1.04 | 0.97 |
| 33 | West Virginia profile | $18.84 | $39,190 | $31,670 | $55,860 | 670 | 0.95 | 0.89 |
| 34 | Delaware profile | $18.45 | $38,380 | $35,090 | $47,180 | 230 | 0.47 | 0.44 |
| 35 | Tennessee profile | $18.43 | $38,330 | $30,280 | $51,120 | 5,270 | 1.61 | 1.51 |
| 36 | Idaho profile | $18.39 | $38,240 | $32,460 | $47,380 | 1,140 | 1.33 | 1.25 |
| 37 | Florida profile | $18.25 | $37,950 | $30,970 | $49,270 | 5,010 | 0.51 | 0.47 |
| 38 | Virginia profile | $18.14 | $37,740 | $31,000 | $52,000 | 3,900 | 0.95 | 0.89 |
| 39 | Kansas profile | $17.94 | $37,320 | $30,640 | $51,000 | 1,430 | 0.99 | 0.93 |
| 40 | Utah profile | $17.84 | $37,110 | $31,690 | $51,540 | 1,000 | 0.58 | 0.54 |
| 41 | South Carolina profile | $17.60 | $36,610 | $26,570 | $50,830 | 1,950 | 0.84 | 0.79 |
| 42 | Texas profile | $17.60 | $36,610 | $28,420 | $47,840 | 30,470 | 2.17 | 2.03 |
| 43 | Louisiana profile | $17.50 | $36,400 | $28,160 | $49,100 | 3,710 | 1.92 | 1.80 |
| 44 | Georgia profile | $17.44 | $36,280 | $28,470 | $50,100 | 4,480 | 0.92 | 0.86 |
| 45 | Oklahoma profile | $17.43 | $36,240 | $27,460 | $46,710 | 2,200 | 1.29 | 1.21 |
| 46 | Alabama profile | $17.26 | $35,910 | $27,060 | $45,840 | 7,230 | 3.42 | 3.21 |
| 47 | New Mexico profile | $17.14 | $35,650 | $30,820 | $46,200 | 810 | 0.93 | 0.87 |
| 48 | Arkansas profile | $17.09 | $35,540 | $34,270 | $44,600 | 6,760 | 5.18 | 4.86 |
| 49 | Mississippi profile | $16.29 | $33,880 | $30,420 | $47,440 | 3,540 | 3.04 | 2.85 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (51-9190), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Production Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 51-9198 Helpers--Production Workers.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 51-9198, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-9198.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.