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Helpers--Production Workers

ManufacturingO*NET 51-9198.00United States

Help production workers by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include supplying or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning
Median annual earnings
$38,890

50th percentile, United States

Projected change
−2.8%

2025 to 2035

Typical education
High school diploma or less

81.5% of the workforce

Employment
169.9K jobs

Growing to 165.18K by 2035

Explore this career by location

Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.

Showing United States

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

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The work

What helpers--production workers do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

  • Operate machinery used in the production process, or assist machine operators.
  • Load and unload items from machines, conveyors, and conveyances.
  • Place products in equipment or on work surfaces for further processing, inspecting, or wrapping.
  • Examine products to verify conformance to quality standards.
  • Start machines or equipment to begin production processes.
  • Observe equipment operations so that malfunctions can be detected, and notify operators of any malfunctions.
  • Lift raw materials, finished products, and packed items, manually or using hoists.
  • Remove products, machine attachments, or waste material from machines.
  • Transfer finished products, raw materials, tools, or equipment between storage and work areas of plants and warehouses, by hand or using hand trucks or powered lift trucks.
  • Pack and store materials and products.
  • Help production workers by performing duties of lesser skill, such as supplying or holding materials or tools, or cleaning work areas and equipment.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile
$30,653
25th percentile
$34,845
50th percentile
$38,890
75th percentile
$46,272
90th percentile
$55,222

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $38,890 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

−2.8%projected to decline
2025169,902 jobs
2035 projected165,180 jobs

4,722 fewer positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

High school diploma or less
81.5%
Certificate
17.6%
Some college
0.8%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

  • Lifting Ability
  • Forklift Truck
  • Machinery
  • Packaging And Labeling
  • Loading And Unloading
  • Hand Tools
  • Warehousing
  • Housekeeping
  • Tape Measure
  • General Mathematics
  • Safety Procedures
  • Fabrication
  • Power Tool Operation
  • Material Handling
  • Machine Operation
  • Mechanical Aptitude
  • Painting
  • Welding
  • Personal Protective Equipment
  • Development Environment

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Operation and Control
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Quality Control Analysis
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Troubleshooting
Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Equipment Maintenance
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Repairing
Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

  1. 01Production Helpers688 postings
  2. 02Shop Helpers240 postings
  3. 03General Helpers173 postings
  4. 04Helpers162 postings
  5. 05Painters Helpers145 postings
  6. 06Machine Helpers123 postings
  7. 07Press Helpers116 postings
  8. 08Welder Helpers101 postings
  9. 09Installation Helpers39 postings
  10. 10Assistants/Helpers36 postings
  11. 11Manufacturing Managers34 postings
  12. 12Fabricators32 postings
  13. 13Sheet Metal Helpers32 postings
  14. 14Machine Shop Helpers30 postings
  15. 15Office Helpers27 postings
  16. 16Warehouse Helpers25 postings
  17. 17Driver Helpers24 postings
  18. 18Fabrication Shop Managers23 postings
  19. 19Auto Body Painters22 postings
  20. 20Elders Helpers19 postings

Top employers

  1. 01Aerotek287 postings
  2. 02ManpowerGroup121 postings
  3. 03Packaging Corporation of America51 postings
  4. 04Metalcraft Of Mayville40 postings
  5. 05Smurfit Westrock39 postings
  6. 06International Paper35 postings
  7. 07Green Bay Packaging33 postings
  8. 08Commercial Metals27 postings
  9. 09Staffmark26 postings
  10. 10Hood Container Corporation24 postings
  11. 11Spherion Staffing23 postings
  12. 12Express Employment Professionals18 postings
  13. 13Schuff Steel18 postings
  14. 14Graphic Packaging International17 postings
  15. 15Kings Hawaiian Bakery Southeast16 postings
  16. 16QPS Employment Group16 postings
  17. 17King's Hawaiian15 postings
  18. 18Precision Castparts15 postings
  19. 19Flowers Foods14 postings
  20. 20Iowa Steel And Wire14 postings

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