Helpers--Production Workers Salary: $38,220 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 167,490 helpers--production workers work nationally, and $38,220 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 19% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 5.2% annual decline.
Helpers--Production Workers: what the data shows
Common questions about helpers--production workers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a helpers--production workers?
Helpers--Production Workers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-9198.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 167,490 workers.
What does a helpers--production workers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Handling and Moving Objects, Performing General Physical Activities, Controlling Machines and Processes, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Getting Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a helpers--production workers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $38,220 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $46,620 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,412 |
| 25th percentile | $39,018 |
| Median (50th) | $44,804 |
| 75th percentile | $50,673 |
| 90th percentile | $61,897 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Monitoring, Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Quality Control Analysis, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, Production and Processing, Mathematics, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is helpers--production workers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 5.2% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -23.4%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -41.4%.
Current U.S. headcount: 167,490.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do helpers--production workerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 167,490 | 19.6% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 166,750 | 19.5% |
| Manufacturing | 119,580 | 14.0% |
| Food Manufacturing | 33,960 | 4.0% |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 20,850 | 2.4% |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 18,320 | 2.1% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Helpers--Production Workers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 30,940 | $42,580 |
| Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 8,700 | $86,350 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 26,870 | $35,430 |
| Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks | 385,000 | $57,770 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 12,090 | $50,990 |
| Sound Engineering Technicians | 13,050 | $66,430 |
| Industrial Engineers | 350,230 | $101,140 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Helpers--Production Workers workforce.
Employment Over Time
167,490 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Helpers--Production Workers shrank from 171,820 in 2009 to 73,140 in 2025 (57.4%).
Historical employment for Helpers--Production Workers from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$38,220 Median pay (BLS national)
Helpers--Production Workers earn $38,220 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Helpers--Production Workers.
Salary distribution for Helpers--Production Workers.
Employment Growth Projections
-5.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
56,007 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -23.4%
42,887 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -41.4%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Helpers--Production Workers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Helpers--Production Workers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Helpers--Production Workers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Helpers--Production Workers.
Wage Trends by Industry
6.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Helpers--Production Workers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Helpers--Production Workers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 26,660 employees, $36,990 avg wage
- CA: 18,450 employees, $45,440 avg wage
- AL: 8,170 employees, $35,550 avg wage
- PA: 6,660 employees, $41,170 avg wage
- AR: 6,280 employees, $37,180 avg wage
- FL: 5,880 employees, $37,720 avg wage
- IL: 5,380 employees, $42,980 avg wage
- NC: 5,370 employees, $38,580 avg wage
- TN: 5,290 employees, $39,160 avg wage
- MO: 5,120 employees, $41,840 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Helpers--Production Workers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 7,280 employees, $37,010 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 7,190 employees, $44,300 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 6,440 employees, $38,270 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 4,950 employees, $42,130 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 3,500 employees, $41,500 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 2,380 employees, $48,850 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 2,240 employees, $41,560 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 2,200 employees, $44,560 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 1,990 employees, $38,320 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 1,840 employees, $36,620 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Helpers--Production Workers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Helpers--Production Workers in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Helpers--Production Workers is about 167,490 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Helpers--Production Workers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Helpers--Production Workers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Helpers--Production Workers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Helpers--Production Workers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Helpers--Production Workers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Helpers--Production Workers workers.
Education level distribution for Helpers--Production Workers.
Skills
Helpers--Production Workers need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Monitoring, Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Speaking.
Required skills for Helpers--Production Workers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Helpers--Production Workers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Helpers--Production Workers include Mechanical, Production and Processing, Mathematics, English Language, Public Safety and Security.
Knowledge areas required for Helpers--Production Workers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Helpers--Production Workers include Near Vision, Control Precision, Static Strength, Manual Dexterity, Trunk Strength.
Required abilities for Helpers--Production Workers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Helpers--Production Workers.
Daily Activities
Helpers--Production Workers spend their time on activities such as Handling and Moving Objects, Performing General Physical Activities, Controlling Machines and Processes, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Getting Information.
Most important work activities for Helpers--Production Workers.
About
Helpers--Production Workers
Helpers--Production Workers earn $38,220 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
51-9198 - Helpers--Production Workers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Helpers--Production Workers reports an average salary of $46,620.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 167,490 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -5.2%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.