Careers / Helpers--Production Workers

Helpers--Production Workers — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$39,070

United States, 2025

Employment

165,700

United States, 2025

Typical education

Less than a High School Diploma

Job Zone 2

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

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 code
51-9198.00
Job zone
2
Experience required
None

Typical tasks

  • Lift raw materials, finished products, and packed items, manually or using hoists.
  • Mark or tag identification on parts.
  • Observe equipment operations so that malfunctions can be detected, and notify operators of any malfunctions.
  • Count finished products to determine if product orders are complete.
  • Examine products to verify conformance to quality standards.
  • Operate machinery used in the production process, or assist machine operators.
  • Load and unload items from machines, conveyors, and conveyances.
  • Remove products, machine attachments, or waste material from machines.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$31,140
10th
$35,220
25th
$39,070
Median
$45,990
75th
$53,410
90th

10th percentile

$31,140

25th percentile

$35,220

75th percentile

$45,990

90th percentile

$53,410

Most important skills

  • Monitoring2.8
  • Operation and Control2.8
  • Active Listening2.8
  • Operations Monitoring2.8
  • Quality Control Analysis2.6
  • Critical Thinking2.6
  • Reading Comprehension2.6
  • Speaking2.6
  • Social Perceptiveness2.5
  • Coordination2.5
  • Management of Personnel Resources2.1
  • Active Learning2.1

What skills do you need?

No skill ratings are recorded for this occupation in the current O*NET release.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
Reading, PA$54,5503402025
Albany, OR$52,2902002025
Des Moines, IA$52,0502002025
Oshkosh, WI$50,4802902025
Fargo, ND$50,190802025
Fond du Lac, WI$50,110602025
Santa Rosa, CA$49,9202302025
New Haven, CT$49,9003202025
Lewiston, ID$49,680702025
Racine, WI$49,020902025
Pueblo, CO$48,9701002025
Wausau, WI$48,790702025
Hartford, CT$48,6905002025
Green Bay, WI$48,6702602025
Waterloo, IA$48,5204202025
Hagerstown, MD$48,4704202025
Napa, CA$48,4201602025
Amarillo, TX$48,3702702025
Joplin, MO$47,8503502025
Burlington, VT$47,830602025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Helpers--Production Workers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

Build a transition comparison

Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.