What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Production Operator?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Production Operator jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Nome, AK (24.0% above average), followed by Berkeley, CA and Redwood City, CA. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Nome, AK $46,960 $3,913 $903 $22.58 Berkeley, CA $46,353 $3,862 $891 $22.29 Redwood City, CA $46,349 $3,862 $891 $22.28 North Slope Borough, AK $46,306 $3,858 $890 $22.26 Sitka, AK $45,604 $3,800 $877 $21.93 Holdrege, NE $45,346 $3,778 $872 $21.80 Wyoming, WY $45,148 $3,762 $868 $21.71 San Francisco, CA $44,601 $3,716 $857 $21.44 Fremont, CA $44,528 $3,710 $856 $21.41 Stanford, CA $44,479 $3,706 $855 $21.38

Production Operator

Production Operator Salary

Q: How much does a Production Operator make?

The average annual pay for a production operator in the United States is $37,856 a year — that works out to approximately $18.20 an hour. The middle 80% of Production Operators earn between $30,500 (10th percentile) and $46,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Production Operator Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Production Operator in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Blow Molding Machine Operator at $2,746 (7.3%) above Production Operator. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Blow Molding Machine Operator $40,602 $3,383 $780 $19.52 Manufacturing Production Technician $40,008 $3,334 $769 $19.23 Production Operative $39,233 $3,269 $754 $18.86 Packaging Operator $38,076 $3,173 $732 $18.31 Production Operators $37,856 $3,154 $728 $18.20

$24.5K

$36.5K

$49K

$37,856

/year

$18.20

/hour

Production Operator Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$37,856

Columbus

Ohio

$36,565

Do you get a good deal as a Production Operator?

Take The Breakroom Quiz to find out if your job offers fair pay and conditions. The 3-minute quiz lets you compare your pay, hours, benefits, and more.

Take The Breakroom Quiz

How much does a Production Operator make?

As of Jul 27, 2026, the average annual pay for a Production Operator in the United States is $37,856 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $18.20 an hour. This is the equivalent of $728/week or $3,154/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $49,000 and as low as $24,500, the majority of Production Operator salaries currently range between $33,500 (25th percentile) to $40,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $46,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Production Operator varies greatly (by as much as 7000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

A Production Operator in your area makes on average $36,565 per year, or $1,291 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $37,856. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Production Operator salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Production Operator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as a Production Operator on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Production Operator Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Production Operator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Berkeley, CA, and Redwood City, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Redwood City, CA, beats the national average by $8,493 (22.4%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $9,104 (24.0%) above the $37,856 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Production Operator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 5% between Nome, AK, and Stanford, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Production Operator role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Nome, AK	$46,960	$3,913	$903	$22.58
Berkeley, CA	$46,353	$3,862	$891	$22.29
Redwood City, CA	$46,349	$3,862	$891	$22.28
North Slope Borough, AK	$46,306	$3,858	$890	$22.26
Sitka, AK	$45,604	$3,800	$877	$21.93
Holdrege, NE	$45,346	$3,778	$872	$21.80
Wyoming, WY	$45,148	$3,762	$868	$21.71
San Francisco, CA	$44,601	$3,716	$857	$21.44
Fremont, CA	$44,528	$3,710	$856	$21.41
Stanford, CA	$44,479	$3,706	$855	$21.38

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Production Operator Jobs in the U.S.

We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Production Operator category.

For example Blow Molding Machine Operator jobs pay as much as $2,746 (7.3%) more than the average Production Operator salary of $37,856. If you're qualified, finding work as a Blow Molding Machine Operator may help you make more money than that of the average Production Operator position.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Blow Molding Machine Operator	$40,602	$3,383	$780	$19.52
Manufacturing Production Technician	$40,008	$3,334	$769	$19.23
Production Operative	$39,233	$3,269	$754	$18.86
Packaging Operator	$38,076	$3,173	$732	$18.31
Production Operators	$37,856	$3,154	$728	$18.20

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Production Operator salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $37,856 per year or $18.20 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

All Salaries Production Operator Salary