Production Occupations in South Dakota, May 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 state estimates. BLS sorts every occupation into one of 22 major groups; this is the Production Occupations group in South Dakota. These are estimates of jobs and wages, not job openings.
The group’s own figures in South Dakota
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Occupation group code | 51-0000 |
| Employment | 31,980 |
| Jobs per 1,000 | 70.602 |
| Location quotient | 1.25 |
| Mean annual wage | $47,090 |
| Median annual wage | $44,730 |
| Mean hourly wage | $22.64 |
| Median hourly wage | $21.51 |
| 10th percentile annual wage | $34,290 |
| 25th percentile annual wage | $38,340 |
| 75th percentile annual wage | $51,950 |
| 90th percentile annual wage | $62,610 |
Detailed occupations in this group in South Dakota
Every detailed occupation BLS publishes for this group in South Dakota, sorted by employment. Rows where BLS publishes no employment estimate (**) come last. Click a column heading to sort. A cell that reads “not published annually” or “not published hourly” means BLS publishes that row on the other basis only. A cell showing * or # is BLS’s own footnote symbol, explained below the table. Each row is that occupation’s own BLS record for South Dakota.
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage | Mean annual wage | 10th percentile annual wage | 90th percentile annual wage | Median hourly wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 3,580 | $39,510 | $40,700 | $31,620 | $50,450 | $19 |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 3,480 | $48,340 | $49,280 | $36,960 | $61,330 | $23.24 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 2,040 | $42,890 | $44,740 | $39,610 | $52,000 | $20.62 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | 1,900 | $70,950 | $72,660 | $51,420 | $91,850 | $34.11 |
| Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers | 1,610 | $38,860 | $40,550 | $36,700 | $47,900 | $18.68 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators | 1,450 | $50,460 | $52,680 | $39,630 | $68,860 | $24.26 |
| Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 1,310 | $48,030 | $49,570 | $37,870 | $62,370 | $23.09 |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | 1,090 | $46,430 | $47,750 | $38,070 | $61,320 | $22.32 |
| Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators | 1,040 | $54,090 | $56,830 | $43,000 | $74,220 | $26.01 |
| Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | 840 | $41,080 | $40,700 | $33,520 | $46,380 | $19.75 |
| Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 800 | $38,920 | $40,690 | $33,330 | $48,480 | $18.71 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 800 | $43,020 | $43,690 | $38,060 | $51,470 | $20.68 |
| Food Batchmakers | 640 | $38,490 | $39,070 | $31,590 | $47,100 | $18.5 |
| Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers | 640 | $31,820 | $32,670 | $27,760 | $39,350 | $15.3 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 620 | $35,880 | $39,780 | $32,790 | $52,330 | $17.25 |
| Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing | 610 | $41,070 | $41,070 | $32,120 | $48,660 | $19.75 |
| Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 590 | $44,050 | $44,640 | $36,180 | $54,250 | $21.18 |
| Engine and Other Machine Assemblers | 590 | $44,730 | $43,500 | $37,340 | $49,040 | $21.51 |
| Machinists | 580 | $49,830 | $50,110 | $37,680 | $59,690 | $23.96 |
| Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 570 | $42,640 | $45,120 | $36,350 | $58,820 | $20.5 |
| Printing Press Operators | 470 | $42,570 | $43,930 | $32,760 | $61,840 | $20.46 |
| Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 440 | $43,570 | $46,040 | $39,850 | $52,110 | $20.95 |
| Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 380 | $41,700 | $41,870 | $29,120 | $51,310 | $20.05 |
| Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters | 370 | $43,460 | $45,300 | $34,000 | $51,950 | $20.9 |
| Bakers | 350 | $36,850 | $37,560 | $28,440 | $46,950 | $17.72 |
| Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 320 | $48,750 | $48,140 | $34,370 | $60,690 | $23.44 |
| Sewing Machine Operators | 270 | $38,120 | $36,140 | $27,800 | $44,500 | $18.33 |
| Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood | 240 | $38,100 | $39,000 | $29,570 | $48,360 | $18.32 |
| Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 230 | $50,920 | $51,210 | $40,320 | $60,740 | $24.48 |
| Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | 220 | $52,470 | $50,010 | $35,510 | $62,740 | $25.23 |
| Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 190 | $50,870 | $46,930 | $34,310 | $57,700 | $24.46 |
| Plant and System Operators, All Other | 190 | $58,750 | $60,100 | $45,910 | $78,480 | $28.25 |
| Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders | 180 | $47,060 | $47,870 | $42,400 | $56,430 | $22.63 |
| Chemical Plant and System Operators | 180 | $56,690 | $56,290 | $49,750 | $68,900 | $27.26 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 130 | $43,630 | $42,840 | $35,840 | $57,860 | $20.98 |
| Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 130 | $40,190 | $39,940 | $30,710 | $51,540 | $19.32 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 110 | $38,070 | $39,650 | $29,900 | $47,310 | $18.3 |
| Print Binding and Finishing Workers | 110 | $40,050 | $39,050 | $29,200 | $48,640 | $19.25 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers | 100 | $63,080 | $63,810 | $47,400 | $87,010 | $30.33 |
| Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 100 | $48,680 | $46,960 | $39,730 | $54,170 | $23.4 |
| Tool and Die Makers | 100 | $55,570 | $55,090 | $38,820 | $66,290 | $26.72 |
| Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 90 | $48,320 | $50,010 | $31,290 | $69,470 | $23.23 |
| Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 90 | $48,060 | $48,080 | $38,490 | $59,160 | $23.11 |
| Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators | 90 | $47,390 | $47,780 | $40,850 | $54,470 | $22.78 |
| Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers | 90 | $49,960 | $46,730 | $32,210 | $61,530 | $24.02 |
| Prepress Technicians and Workers | 90 | $37,560 | $39,770 | $28,830 | $50,260 | $18.06 |
| Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators | 90 | $66,000 | $60,750 | $38,950 | $73,420 | $31.73 |
| Furniture Finishers | 80 | $40,580 | $40,880 | $30,310 | $49,990 | $19.51 |
| Gas Plant Operators | 80 | $98,170 | $94,230 | $78,070 | $98,240 | $47.2 |
| Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 80 | $44,330 | $43,930 | $37,130 | $48,870 | $21.31 |
| Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders | 70 | $41,600 | $39,200 | $32,210 | $45,110 | $20 |
| Dental Laboratory Technicians | 70 | $44,610 | $51,570 | $38,630 | $80,290 | $21.45 |
| Etchers and Engravers | 70 | $44,160 | $44,920 | $31,200 | $58,240 | $21.23 |
| Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders | 60 | $44,090 | $42,270 | $36,560 | $46,510 | $21.2 |
| Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders | 60 | $43,010 | $48,320 | $39,040 | $63,500 | $20.68 |
| Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand | 60 | $37,620 | $39,810 | $30,550 | $51,020 | $18.09 |
| Cutters and Trimmers, Hand | 50 | $38,660 | $38,150 | $31,450 | $41,200 | $18.59 |
| Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 40 | $45,430 | $46,460 | $39,850 | $51,100 | $21.84 |
| Medical Appliance Technicians | 40 | $39,370 | $43,210 | $37,250 | $51,290 | $18.93 |
| Power Plant Operators | 40 | $105,400 | $98,530 | $65,470 | $130,110 | $50.67 |
| Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials | 40 | $28,200 | $29,920 | $23,300 | $35,810 | $13.56 |
| Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers | 30 | $36,810 | $38,610 | $32,230 | $48,160 | $17.7 |
Symbols (BLS wording, workbook sheet Field Descriptions sheet): ** indicates that an employment estimate is not available · * indicates that a wage estimate is not available · # indicates a wage equal to or greater than $115.00 per hour or $239,200 per year. A wage shown as a symbol is not zero and not a blank: BLS publishes no number there.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 state estimates. Record: state_M2024_dl.xlsx!AREA=46&OCC_CODE=51-0000. the group row is AREA 46 / OCC_CODE 51-0000, and each table row is its own detailed record for this area, AREA 46 / OCC_CODE 51-xxxx. Reference period: May 2024. Fetched October 2026 from https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24st.zip.