Production
Production Workers, All Other
All production workers not listed separately.
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $48,790
- $23.46/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- 2,340
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- −1.7%
- 390 openings a year
- Typical U.S. entry requirement
- High school diploma or equivalent
- plus Moderate-term on-the-job training
Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.
Pay range in Greater Boston
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $32,220 | $37,440 | $48,790 | $59,010 | $79,620 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
AI and this job
AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.
Lower exposure6 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 7
- Language-model AIOE 5
Observed AI use today: Not published (Anthropic Economic Index)
This is a catch-all group for production jobs that don't fit another category, so the exact tasks vary by workplace. AI exposure is lower, meaning AI tools touch relatively little of this kind of hands-on work. Massachusetts is projected to have 1.7% fewer of these jobs from 2024 to 2034, so it helps to build skills that apply in other settings.
Likely to change
- Record-keeping and paperwork
- Tracking orders and schedules
Still relies on people
- Hands-on work with tools and materials
- Following safety practices on the floor
Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.
Next steps from here
Related jobs that build on what you already do.
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Both jobs involve running production equipment, and this one has a similar AI exposure level, a projected 3.4% job growth, and a higher median pay of $54,560.
- Pay difference
- +$5,770 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +3.4%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Construction Laborers
Tending and maintaining machinery and tools carries over. This job needs no formal credential, offers short on-the-job training, and is projected to grow 9.5%.
- Pay difference
- +$14,630 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +9.5%
- To get started
- No formal educational credential
Structural Iron and Steel Workers
Following specifications and working with equipment carries over. It is learned through an apprenticeship and pays a median of $120,840 in Boston.
- Pay difference
- +$72,050 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +6.1%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Training near Boston
College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).
No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.
Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.
Talk to a career coach
A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.
Talk to a career coach