Salary guide, May 2025
Production Technician pay in Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Production Workers, All Other in Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ was $40,610 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $37,130 and $48,340.
The Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ median is $500 above the national median of $40,110, both from BLS May 2025.
BLS publishes the wider New York-Newark-Jersey City metro, not Northern New Jersey separately.
Broader occupation · SOC 51-9199 Production Workers, All Other
Production Technician is shown within the broader published occupation. BLS does not separate this plant-specific title, seniority, shift, process or credential. Compare the duties with the SOC definition before using the range.
What should you know about northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $35,160 | $37,130 | $40,610 | $48,340 | $67,250 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $16.91 | $17.85 | $19.52 | $23.24 | $32.33 |
BLS estimated 4,740 workers employed in this occupation in Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ. Location quotient: 0.31.
What should you know about united States?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $31,200 | $36,030 | $40,110 | $49,010 | $61,530 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $15.00 | $17.32 | $19.29 | $23.56 | $29.58 |
What should you know about role pay against all occupations here?
The published Production Technician median is $40,610. The all-occupations median in Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ is $61,430. Ratio: 0.66 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 0.31 measures how concentrated this occupation's employment is here against the nation. It is not a wage index.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $35,940 | $38,710 | $46,050 |
| May 2025 | $37,130 | $40,610 | $48,340 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-9199 Production Workers, All Other, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-9199 Production Workers, All Other, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
What should you know about nearby areas?
| Area | Median | 25th to 75th |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $45,310 | $40,180 to $60,120 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $34,440 | $34,440 to $38,020 |
What does this data mean for your opening?
31 location quotient. For Production Technician in Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $40,610; the May 2024 median is $38,710. Their arithmetic difference is $1,900. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
With a middle band width of $11,210, the compensation dispersion is relatively moderate. Manufacturing Headhunters points out that the low location quotient reflects the broader metropolitan economy's diversity rather than a specific regional specialization in manufacturing labor.
National industry medians for manufacturing offer broader guidance. Tobacco Manufacturing stands at $77,630, Pulp and Paper at $68,720, and Aerospace at $59,620. These national benchmarks are significantly higher than the local production technician median, highlighting how specialized sectors often carry premium pay structures. For effective hiring, managers should prioritize validating technical competencies like SPC charting, in-process quality control, and the ability to troubleshoot production equipment. The MSSC Certified Production Technician (CPT) qualification is a standard asset in screening for these roles.
Comparison metros provide context on regional wage variance. Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT reports a higher median of $45,310 with a wider $19,940 middle band width. Trenton-Princeton, NJ reports a lower median of $34,440 with a narrow $3,580 middle band width. Northern New Jersey's median of $40,610 is below the national occupation mean of $44,380. Hiring managers must weigh these differences to remain competitive while considering local cost-of-living and labor supply conditions across the state-line industrial market.
The classification SOC 51-9199 is broad, aggregating many different production responsibilities under a single title. Since this data does not account for specific plant processes, shift requirements, or tenure, it is critical for managers to perform internal assessments to tailor their salary offers appropriately. For Production Technician in Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded. A successful offer strategy requires aligning these broad market indicators with the specific technical troubleshooting requirements of your facility.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
A narrower middle band width of $3,580 in Trenton suggests that pay is highly concentrated around the median, with less variance in pay for the majority of these workers. In Northern New Jersey, the $11,210 band shows more pay diversity across the workforce.
What is the implication of the 0.31 location quotient for Northern New Jersey?
This suggests that the manufacturing production sector is not as concentrated here as it is in other parts of the country. This often indicates a more diversified economy where manufacturers compete with other sectors for the same labor pool.
Why is the middle band width so narrow in Trenton-Princeton compared to Northern New Jersey?
A narrower middle band width of $3,580 in Trenton suggests that pay is highly concentrated around the median, with less variance in pay for the majority of these workers. In Northern New Jersey, the $11,210 band shows more pay diversity across the workforce.
Do I need to pay the national mean of $44,380 to attract talent?
Not necessarily; the $40,610 local median indicates that the local market for this specific SOC code operates on a lower pay scale than the national average. Your actual required rate will depend on the specific technical demands of your production process.
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