Who Earns What

How much does an assembler make?

US Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators
$44,650

a year · about $21 an hour

A typical assembler in the United States makes $44,650 a year, about $21 an hour, about the same as a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

What do they do?

At a U.S. factory, an assembler checks a drawing, aligns parts, and uses hand tools or machines to put them together. They inspect the finished work and clean their tools; team assemblers may rotate tasks.

Did you know? On some U.S. assembly teams, workers may help decide how the work is divided—not just follow a boss's fixed task list.

Is that a lot?

Compared with jobs you know
This job$44,650
Typical worker$50,980
Elementary teacher$63,970
Doctor$244,180
Cashier$32,880

If 100 people had this job

Most earn between $33,280 and $64,880
49 of 100
not many

How do you become one?

In the U.S., most assembler jobs require a high school diploma or equivalent, and related experience is usually not needed. Employers provide several months of training; advanced roles may require technical study, an apprenticeship, or soldering certification.

Why does pay differ?

In the United States, more experience and special skills can lead to higher pay, especially in complex jobs that need extra training or soldering certificates. Pay also varies by industry, employer, and location, and some workers have evening, weekend, or night shifts.

Where does it pay most?

Highest in Nevada ($49,050), lowest in Arkansas ($36,990).

See every state
Whole US$44,650
Nevada$49,050
Iowa$48,920
Washington$48,260
Kentucky$47,950
California$47,720
Georgia$38,310
New Jersey$37,620
Arkansas$36,990

Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.

Jobs like this

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Who earns more?

In Japan, a car assembler averages $39,449. Assembler salary in Japan

Data table and sources
Assembler pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread) — Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lower earner (10th from bottom)Typical person (median)Higher earner (10th from top)People in this job
$33,280$44,650$64,880about 1.4 million
States where assemblers earn the most (median, May 2025)
StateTypical person (median)People in this job
Nevada$49,050about 11,000
Iowa$48,920about 20,000
Washington$48,260about 17,000
Kentucky$47,950about 47,000
California$47,720about 98,000

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine

Pages used for the text

Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY