Helpers--Production Workers
What Helpers--Production Workers Do
Help production workers by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include supplying or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 0.1%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Mechanicalimportance 3.0/5
- Production and Processingimportance 2.7/5
- Mathematicsimportance 2.7/5
- English Languageimportance 2.7/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 2.6/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 2.4/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 2.1/5
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 2.0/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.9/5
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.6/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.3/5
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.2/5
- Time Pressure4.1/5
- Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions4.1/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers96% skill match
- Floor Sanders and Finishers96% skill match
- Rock Splitters, Quarry96% skill match
- Dredge Operators95% skill match
- Power Plant Operators95% skill match
- Motorboat Operators95% skill match
- Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders95% skill match
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers95% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operations Monitoringimportance 2.8/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.6/5
- Coordinationimportance 2.6/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 2.6/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 2.6/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.3/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.3/5
- Time Managementimportance 2.3/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Cooperation
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
- Self-Control
- Perseverance
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
- InvestigativeLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 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.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where helpers--production workers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Anniston-Oxford, AL9.83× national avg
- 2Morristown, TN9.07× national avg
- 3Gadsden, AL7.61× national avg
- 4St. Joseph, MO-KS7.00× national avg
- 5Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR5.80× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble SettersCareer Change
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead PumpersCareer Change
- Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersLateral Move
- Dredge OperatorsCareer Change