Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-9198

Helpers--Production Workers

Median pay sits 48% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Chemical Plant and System Operators, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Model Makers, Metal and Plastic, Tool and Die Makers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Helpers--Production Workers: Chemical Plant and System Operators ($78K) , Plant and System Operators, All Other ($62K) , Model Makers, Metal and Plastic ($63K) , Tool and Die Makers ($64K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Helpers--Production Workers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-9198 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Load and unload items from machines, conveyors, and conveyances
  2. 2. Count finished products to determine if product orders are complete
  3. 3. Operate machinery used in the production process, or assist machine operators
  4. 4. Place products in equipment or on work surfaces for further processing, inspecting, or wrapping
  5. 5. Examine products to verify conformance to quality standards
  6. 6. Measure amounts of products, lengths of extruded articles, or weights of filled containers to ensure conformance to specifications
  7. 7. Separate products according to weight, grade, size, or composition of materials used to produce them
  8. 8. Turn valves to regulate flow of liquids or air, to reverse machines, to start pumps, or to regulate equipment
  9. 9. Mark or tag identification on parts
  10. 10. Start machines or equipment to begin production processes
  11. 11. Mix ingredients according to specified procedures or formulas
  12. 12. Observe equipment operations so that malfunctions can be detected, and notify operators of any malfunctions

Helpers--Production Workers: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-9198 - lead skill Active Listening at 2.9 ; lead knowledge Mechanical. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 2.9
  2. 2. Monitoring 2.9
  3. 3. Speaking 2.8
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 2.8
  5. 5. Operations Monitoring 2.8
  6. 6. Reading Comprehension 2.6
  7. 7. Social Perceptiveness 2.6
  8. 8. Coordination 2.6

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mechanical 3.0
  2. 2. Production and Processing 2.7
  3. 3. Mathematics 2.7
  4. 4. English Language 2.7
  5. 5. Public Safety and Security 2.6
  6. 6. Education and Training 2.4
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-48%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $39,070/yr
$39K
National median
↓ -9%
Growth 2024-2034
23,600
Annual openings
165,700
Estimated US jobs
Chemical Plant and System Operators
Highest-pay peer · $78K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Helpers--Production Workers

1. Washington $45,450
2. North Dakota $46,170
3. Wisconsin $45,100
4. Oregon $45,390
5. Minnesota $44,720
6. Montana $46,110
7. Connecticut $45,260
8. Nebraska $45,020
9. Colorado $45,550
10. Iowa $45,560

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Model Makers, Metal and Plastic $63,340
  2. 2. Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470
  3. 3. Tool and Die Makers $64,050
  4. 4. First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,450
  5. 5. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120
  6. 6. Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers $62,750

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Helpers--Production Workers sits 48% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $39,070.

Employment Projections expect -9% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 23,600 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Washington at $45,450. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Chemical Plant and System Operators at $78,120. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Helpers--Production Workers pay-rank #92 in Production Occupations

On the Production Occupations median table (105 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Helpers--Production Workers lands at #92, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Helpers--Production Workers pays 48% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Helpers--Production Workers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-9198

Washington · top state for Helpers--Production Workers

$45K published median

North Dakota · #2 state pay

$46K · behind Washington

Chemical Plant and System Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Helpers--Production Workers · $78K

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Helpers--Production Workers · $62K

Compare Helpers--Production Workers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Helpers--Production Workers with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Helpers--Production Workers

Against another occupation

Chemical Plant and System Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Helpers--Production Workers land on the Production Occupations median table? ▼
Helpers--Production Workers is pay-rank #92 of 105 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($39K), Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians ($39K), Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($39K), Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($40K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do helpers--production workers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Helpers--Production Workers. Leading ones include: Load and unload items from machines, conveyors, and conveyances; Count finished products to determine if product orders are complete; 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for helpers--production workers? ▼
For SOC 51-9198, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (2.9), Monitoring (2.9), Speaking (2.8), Critical Thinking (2.8). Knowledge areas emphasize Mechanical, Production and Processing, Mathematics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Helpers--Production Workers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $39,070 as the national median for Helpers--Production Workers. The published 10th-90th range is $31,140 to $53,410. Beside Chemical Plant and System Operators ($78,120), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Helpers--Production Workers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Helpers--Production Workers is -9%. Projected annual openings: about 23,600. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Helpers--Production Workers? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Helpers--Production Workers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Helpers--Production Workers? ▼
Washington ($45,450), North Dakota ($46,170), Wisconsin ($45,100) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Helpers--Production Workers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-9198. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Helpers--Production Workers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics