Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Virginia employs 156,720 Production professionals across 87 occupations. Explore salary ranges, top paying jobs, and career opportunities within the Production industry.
The best-compensated occupations within Production in Virginia, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Production industry in Virginia, 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 | Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $90,390 | $72,620 | 100 | $43/hr |
| 2 | Gas Plant Operators | $86,500 | $87,150 | 400 | $41/hr |
| 3 | Power Distributors and Dispatchers | $81,080 | $83,490 | 330 | $38/hr |
| 4 | Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers | $74,390 | $74,280 | 330 | $35/hr |
| 5 | First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $74,150 | $76,310 | 13,530 | $35/hr |
| 6 | Power Plant Operators | $73,640 | $74,290 | 590 | $35/hr |
| 7 | Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic | $70,260 | $71,560 | 1,080 | $33/hr |
| 8 | Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators | $64,150 | $64,680 | 350 | $30/hr |
| 9 | Tool and Die Makers | $64,050 | $64,970 | 390 | $30/hr |
| 10 | Chemical Plant and System Operators | $63,000 | $64,330 | 760 | $30/hr |
| 11 | Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers | $61,940 | $62,440 | 240 | $29/hr |
| 12 | Machinists | $61,290 | $62,770 | 5,660 | $29/hr |
| 13 | Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders | $59,970 | $59,350 | 2,040 | $28/hr |
| 14 | Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $59,480 | $62,230 | 2,130 | $28/hr |
| 15 | Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators | $59,420 | $60,500 | 3,460 | $28/hr |
| 16 | Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | $59,260 | $58,810 | 270 | $28/hr |
| 17 | Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | $59,180 | $60,410 | 10,100 | $28/hr |
| 18 | Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | $58,970 | $65,530 | 250 | $28/hr |
| 19 | Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders | $57,000 | $56,270 | 110 | $27/hr |
| 20 | Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $56,410 | $58,790 | 90 | $27/hr |
| 21 | Medical Appliance Technicians | $56,260 | $55,870 | 260 | $27/hr |
| 22 | Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers | $56,230 | $55,550 | 460 | $27/hr |
| 23 | Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $55,070 | $58,760 | 190 | $26/hr |
| 24 | Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $54,230 | $53,590 | 560 | $26/hr |
| 25 | Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | $53,940 | $58,170 | 1,220 | $25/hr |
| 26 | Dental Laboratory Technicians | $51,900 | $59,560 | 1,050 | $24/hr |
| 27 | Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $50,770 | $48,900 | 1,530 | $24/hr |
| 28 | Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $50,600 | $51,560 | 1,030 | $24/hr |
| 29 | Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $49,970 | $52,100 | 1,530 | $24/hr |
| 30 | Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $49,900 | $52,620 | 2,370 | $23/hr |
| 31 | Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $49,880 | $54,720 | 4,130 | $23/hr |
| 32 | Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders | $49,650 | $52,050 | 260 | $23/hr |
| 33 | Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators | $49,590 | $51,540 | 1,890 | $23/hr |
| 34 | Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | $49,590 | $53,310 | 9,830 | $23/hr |
| 35 | Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $49,390 | $50,180 | 1,810 | $23/hr |
| 36 | Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $49,160 | $49,670 | 410 | $23/hr |
| 37 | Prepress Technicians and Workers | $49,100 | $48,740 | 330 | $23/hr |
| 38 | Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $48,920 | $49,740 | 210 | $23/hr |
| 39 | Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand | $48,830 | $51,130 | 330 | $23/hr |
| 40 | Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators | $47,380 | $45,940 | 110 | $22/hr |
| 41 | Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $47,300 | $48,270 | 1,790 | $22/hr |
| 42 | Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders | $47,250 | $46,090 | 320 | $22/hr |
| 43 | Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers | $47,090 | $48,190 | 290 | $22/hr |
| 44 | Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $46,450 | $49,800 | 450 | $22/hr |
| 45 | Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers | $46,060 | $48,290 | 300 | $22/hr |
| 46 | Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters | $45,910 | $47,870 | 2,170 | $22/hr |
| 47 | Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $45,560 | $46,110 | 530 | $21/hr |
| 48 | Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic | $45,410 | $45,310 | 720 | $21/hr |
| 49 | Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers | $45,390 | $49,860 | 40 | $21/hr |
| 50 | Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $45,370 | $45,120 | 1,680 | $21/hr |
| 51 | Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders | $45,330 | $49,570 | 140 | $21/hr |
| 52 | Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $45,220 | $47,240 | 1,490 | $21/hr |
| 53 | Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | $44,950 | $46,240 | 6,150 | $21/hr |
| 54 | Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | $44,900 | $45,490 | 21,750 | $21/hr |
| 55 | Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $44,790 | $45,740 | 840 | $21/hr |
| 56 | Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers | $44,660 | $45,500 | 4,930 | $21/hr |
| 57 | Printing Press Operators | $44,020 | $45,650 | 3,210 | $21/hr |
| 58 | Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $43,380 | $43,810 | 270 | $20/hr |
| 59 | Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $43,170 | $43,310 | 620 | $20/hr |
| 60 | Foundry Mold and Coremakers | $43,130 | $52,600 | 110 | $20/hr |
| 61 | Print Binding and Finishing Workers | $42,780 | $44,320 | 980 | $20/hr |
| 62 | Food Batchmakers | $41,080 | $43,910 | 2,870 | $19/hr |
| 63 | Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers | $40,770 | $44,520 | 540 | $19/hr |
| 64 | Butchers and Meat Cutters | $39,770 | $41,650 | 2,630 | $19/hr |
| 65 | Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $39,470 | $39,640 | 580 | $18/hr |
| 66 | Pourers and Casters, Metal | $39,420 | $44,470 | 60 | $18/hr |
| 67 | Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing | $39,370 | $41,120 | 1,520 | $18/hr |
| 68 | Etchers and Engravers | $39,360 | $41,040 | 160 | $18/hr |
| 69 | Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators | $39,140 | $40,460 | 160 | $18/hr |
| 70 | Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners | $38,370 | $44,180 | 80 | $18/hr |
| 71 | Furniture Finishers | $38,020 | $40,130 | 230 | $18/hr |
| 72 | Helpers--Production Workers | $37,740 | $39,830 | 3,900 | $18/hr |
| 73 | Slaughterers and Meat Packers | $37,430 | $36,570 | 1,480 | $18/hr |
| 74 | Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers | $37,230 | $39,660 | 70 | $17/hr |
| 75 | Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | $36,170 | $35,460 | 2,740 | $17/hr |
| 76 | Engine and Other Machine Assemblers | $36,030 | $43,000 | 570 | $17/hr |
| 77 | Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood | $35,790 | $37,680 | 1,580 | $17/hr |
| 78 | Sewing Machine Operators | $35,790 | $36,550 | 2,010 | $17/hr |
| 79 | Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders | $35,370 | $37,990 | 170 | $17/hr |
| 80 | Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | $35,140 | $37,650 | 510 | $16/hr |
| 81 | Bakers | $34,430 | $35,960 | 7,820 | $16/hr |
| 82 | Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $34,410 | $36,160 | 50 | $16/hr |
| 83 | Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians | $34,170 | $38,280 | 470 | $16/hr |
| 84 | Cutters and Trimmers, Hand | $32,470 | $33,840 | 60 | $15/hr |
| 85 | Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers | $32,140 | $32,730 | 4,900 | $15/hr |
| 86 | Upholsterers | $31,950 | $38,350 | 340 | $15/hr |
| 87 | Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials | $31,220 | $31,430 | 720 | $15/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Virginia:
Virginia has 87 Production occupations with 156,720 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Production occupation in Virginia is Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic with a median salary of $90,390/year.
The average median salary across 87 Production occupations in Virginia is $48,911/year.
Salaries in Production in Virginia range from $26,490 (entry-level) to $108,780 (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 Virginia. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources