Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Colorado employs 89,730 Production professionals across 80 occupations. Explore salary ranges, top paying jobs, and career opportunities within the Production industry.
The best-compensated occupations within Production in Colorado, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Production industry in Colorado, sorted by median salary (highest to lowest). Click any job title for state-specific salary details.
| # | Job Title | Median Salary | Mean Salary | Employment | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Power Plant Operators | $102,780 | $108,860 | 250 | $49/hr |
| 2 | Gas Plant Operators | $98,080 | $93,470 | 570 | $47/hr |
| 3 | Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | $93,750 | $88,890 | 120 | $45/hr |
| 4 | Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators | $81,310 | $78,280 | 560 | $39/hr |
| 5 | First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $78,890 | $84,740 | 9,580 | $37/hr |
| 6 | Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators | $74,200 | $72,670 | 2,620 | $35/hr |
| 7 | Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $71,670 | $69,780 | 150 | $34/hr |
| 8 | Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | $70,870 | $66,020 | 160 | $34/hr |
| 9 | Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers | $69,570 | $73,420 | 410 | $33/hr |
| 10 | Tool and Die Makers | $63,800 | $65,620 | 160 | $30/hr |
| 11 | Chemical Plant and System Operators | $62,870 | $67,920 | 400 | $30/hr |
| 12 | Dental Laboratory Technicians | $61,220 | $67,610 | 410 | $29/hr |
| 13 | Machinists | $60,200 | $62,650 | 2,800 | $28/hr |
| 14 | Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | $59,590 | $56,550 | 500 | $28/hr |
| 15 | Medical Appliance Technicians | $59,560 | $63,570 | N/A | $28/hr |
| 16 | Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | $58,590 | $60,410 | 4,970 | $28/hr |
| 17 | Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | $58,350 | $60,840 | 5,220 | $28/hr |
| 18 | Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $58,300 | $59,870 | 100 | $28/hr |
| 19 | Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $57,970 | $56,220 | 140 | $27/hr |
| 20 | Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $57,500 | $57,530 | 110 | $27/hr |
| 21 | Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers | $57,120 | $58,680 | 220 | $27/hr |
| 22 | Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders | $55,770 | $55,420 | 100 | $26/hr |
| 23 | Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators | $55,270 | $57,660 | 1,580 | $26/hr |
| 24 | Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers | $54,070 | $54,200 | 170 | $26/hr |
| 25 | Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $53,780 | $53,510 | N/A | $25/hr |
| 26 | Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $53,590 | $66,000 | 1,470 | $25/hr |
| 27 | Semiconductor Processing Technicians | $52,360 | $53,940 | 790 | $25/hr |
| 28 | Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $51,750 | $51,580 | 700 | $24/hr |
| 29 | Prepress Technicians and Workers | $51,730 | $54,380 | 150 | $24/hr |
| 30 | Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $51,280 | $49,950 | 40 | $24/hr |
| 31 | Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | $51,120 | $53,160 | 330 | $24/hr |
| 32 | Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $51,110 | $50,950 | 240 | $24/hr |
| 33 | Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers | $51,110 | $49,250 | 160 | $24/hr |
| 34 | Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $50,790 | $55,080 | 1,400 | $24/hr |
| 35 | Slaughterers and Meat Packers | $50,480 | $51,010 | 1,590 | $24/hr |
| 36 | Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | $50,390 | $51,350 | 2,470 | $24/hr |
| 37 | Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders | $50,370 | $54,540 | 910 | $24/hr |
| 38 | Furniture Finishers | $50,000 | $51,650 | 170 | $24/hr |
| 39 | Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders | $49,920 | $53,070 | 130 | $24/hr |
| 40 | Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $49,860 | $51,890 | 100 | $23/hr |
| 41 | Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters | $49,610 | $52,100 | 1,300 | $23/hr |
| 42 | Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $49,590 | $54,540 | 1,970 | $23/hr |
| 43 | Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic | $49,530 | $51,630 | 390 | $23/hr |
| 44 | Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $49,100 | $51,150 | 280 | $23/hr |
| 45 | Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $48,940 | $51,690 | 240 | $23/hr |
| 46 | Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians | $48,540 | $53,240 | 320 | $23/hr |
| 47 | Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $48,520 | $51,160 | 640 | $23/hr |
| 48 | Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers | $48,470 | $48,290 | 40 | $23/hr |
| 49 | Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $48,200 | $50,170 | 2,160 | $23/hr |
| 50 | Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $47,930 | $49,750 | 190 | $23/hr |
| 51 | Printing Press Operators | $47,860 | $49,120 | 1,830 | $23/hr |
| 52 | Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers | $47,660 | $50,930 | 4,300 | $22/hr |
| 53 | Sewers, Hand | $47,600 | $46,200 | N/A | $22/hr |
| 54 | Butchers and Meat Cutters | $47,490 | $47,050 | 2,200 | $22/hr |
| 55 | Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood | $47,030 | $47,420 | 350 | $22/hr |
| 56 | Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $46,950 | $50,170 | 520 | $22/hr |
| 57 | Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | $46,900 | $48,680 | 300 | $22/hr |
| 58 | Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing | $46,500 | $46,630 | 440 | $22/hr |
| 59 | Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders | $46,160 | $48,060 | 130 | $22/hr |
| 60 | Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $46,160 | $51,100 | 220 | $22/hr |
| 61 | Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | $46,150 | $48,000 | 9,180 | $22/hr |
| 62 | Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $46,120 | $47,210 | 500 | $22/hr |
| 63 | Engine and Other Machine Assemblers | $46,070 | $50,500 | N/A | $22/hr |
| 64 | Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | $46,010 | $48,180 | 4,760 | $22/hr |
| 65 | Print Binding and Finishing Workers | $45,780 | $46,990 | 370 | $22/hr |
| 66 | Helpers--Production Workers | $45,550 | $45,190 | 1,350 | $21/hr |
| 67 | Food Batchmakers | $44,900 | $46,090 | 3,880 | $21/hr |
| 68 | Sewing Machine Operators | $43,840 | $43,690 | 970 | $21/hr |
| 69 | Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators | $42,840 | $44,320 | 80 | $20/hr |
| 70 | Foundry Mold and Coremakers | $42,240 | $43,790 | 40 | $20/hr |
| 71 | Upholsterers | $42,240 | $46,700 | 160 | $20/hr |
| 72 | Etchers and Engravers | $40,800 | $45,210 | 50 | $19/hr |
| 73 | Bakers | $40,650 | $43,240 | 4,680 | $19/hr |
| 74 | Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand | $40,600 | $43,890 | 70 | $19/hr |
| 75 | Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials | $38,300 | $37,980 | 320 | $18/hr |
| 76 | Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers | $37,680 | $44,750 | 3,370 | $18/hr |
| 77 | Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $37,540 | $38,090 | 90 | $18/hr |
| 78 | Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $36,870 | $40,520 | 30 | $17/hr |
| 79 | Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers | $36,170 | $39,120 | 60 | $17/hr |
| 80 | Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners | $33,970 | $35,910 | N/A | $16/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Colorado:
Colorado has 80 Production occupations with 89,730 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Production occupation in Colorado is Power Plant Operators with a median salary of $102,780/year.
The average median salary across 80 Production occupations in Colorado is $52,925/year.
Salaries in Production in Colorado range from $30,800 (entry-level) to $137,720 (senior) across all occupations.
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes organize jobs into groups. Production occupations use SOC prefix 51. Data comes from BLS OEWS.
Data: BLS OEWS 2025. Salary figures represent May 2025 compensation for occupations classified under SOC code 51* in Colorado. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources