How much does a assembler make?
Answer: A typical assembler in the United States makes $44,650 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 1.4 million people work in this job. About the same as the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Assembler pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $33,280 | $44,650 | $64,880 | about 1.4 million |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $49,050 | about 11,000 |
| Iowa | $48,920 | about 20,000 |
| Washington | $48,260 | about 17,000 |
| Kentucky | $47,950 | about 47,000 |
| California | $47,720 | about 98,000 |
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.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a assembler do?
What's a typical day like?
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.
How to get this job
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.
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.
What about Japan?
Nearly the same jobThe US figure is the median and the Japan figure is the average, so it's not a perfect comparison. Prices differ too.
Earn more in the same field
Production jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
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
- www.bls.gov/OOH/production/assemblers-and-fabricators.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes512090.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/51-2092.00
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY