Production Worker: career path and pay in the US
Where a Production Worker goes next, what each step typically pays in the United States, and how exposed the path is to AI replacement. 4 steps, from Production Worker to Production Supervisor / Manufacturing Supervisor.
Also for the United Kingdom: Production Worker in the UK
The path
Step 1 · 0 to 2 years
Production Worker
$30K to $45K
Typical US pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: Manufacturing Safety Certification (required) - Global, Health & Safety Certification (required) - Global.
Step 2 · 2 to 5 years
Senior Production Worker / Lead Worker
$45K to $70K
Typical US pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: Manufacturing Safety Certification - Global, Health & Safety Certification - Global, Production-specific certifications (optional) - Global.
Step 3 · 5 to 8 years
Production Worker Supervisor / Team Lead
$55K to $85K
Typical US pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: Manufacturing Safety Certification - Global, Health & Safety Certification - Global, Supervisory Skills Certification (optional) - Global.
Step 4 · 8+ years
Production Supervisor / Manufacturing Supervisor
$60K to $90K
Typical US pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: Manufacturing Safety Certification - Global, Health & Safety Certification - Global, Supervisory Skills Certification - Global, Manufacturing Management Certification (optional) - Global.
Exposure and pay along the path
Exposure to AI, now to later
76% → 24%
Falls 52 points. Each step is harder to automate than the last. Lower is better.
Typical pay, now to later
$30K to $45K → $60K to $90K
US estimates by job title, Glassdoor, Indeed and PayScale US. Indeed publishes a hourly average for Production Worker ($17.82); this band converts it at 40 hours a week.
What the work involves
Work as part of a team having responsibility for assembling an entire product or component of a product. Team assemblers can perform all tasks conducted by the team in the assembly process and rotate through all or most of them, rather than being assigned to a specific task on a permanent basis. May participate in making management decisions affecting the work. Includes team leaders who work as part of the team.
O*NET does not rate Production Workers, All Other separately; the profile shown is for Team Assemblers, the nearest rated occupation.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
Knowledge areas
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Public Safety and Security
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Computers and Electronics
Education people bring
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED): 82%
- Bachelor's Degree: 7%
- Some College Courses: 7%
Job Zone 2, job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Other paths from here
More Manufacturing/Warehouse paths in the US
Related occupations in O*NET: Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers, Engine and Other Machine Assemblers, Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers, Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers, Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians.
Your own role
How exposed is your job, task by task? Free score in under a minute.
SourcesSalary bands: Glassdoor, Indeed and PayScale US, US national averages by job title, retrieved September 2026Skills, knowledge and education: O*NET 31.0 Database
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CC BY 4.0
Salary estimates by job title from Glassdoor, Indeed and PayScale, retrieved September 2026. Each band runs from 20% below to 20% above the reported average, rounded to $5K. Exposure percentages and the skills listed under each step are this app's own editorial ratings, not published data.