Occupations · Production
Helpers--Production Workers
Help production workers by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include supplying or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 51-9198.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 95% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $35,990 | 7,280 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $40,640 | 7,190 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $37,020 | 6,440 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $40,110 | 4,950 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $40,070 | 3,500 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $45,570 | 2,380 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $38,150 | 2,240 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $44,100 | 2,200 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $37,090 | 1,990 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $35,000 | 1,840 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | $44,670 | 1,740 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $38,800 | 1,730 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Count finished products to determine if product orders are complete.
- Load and unload items from machines, conveyors, and conveyances.
- Operate machinery used in the production process, or assist machine operators.
- Place products in equipment or on work surfaces for further processing, inspecting, or wrapping.
- Examine products to verify conformance to quality standards.
- Measure amounts of products, lengths of extruded articles, or weights of filled containers to ensure conformance to specifications.
- Separate products according to weight, grade, size, or composition of materials used to produce them.
- Turn valves to regulate flow of liquids or air, to reverse machines, to start pumps, or to regulate equipment.
- Mark or tag identification on parts.
- Start machines or equipment to begin production processes.
- Mix ingredients according to specified procedures or formulas.
- Observe equipment operations so that malfunctions can be detected, and notify operators of any malfunctions.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2015-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2015-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 6
No longer listed 1
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| factory hand | 9329.1 | exact |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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