Toy Industry Workers

Earnings in this field vary by the type of job a person does, the size of the employer, and the employer's location. Some production workers are paid on a piecework basis; that is, they are paid according to the number of pieces of work that they complete. Others are paid on a straight salary.

Most production workers work 40-hour work weeks. Machine operators usually earn more than assemblers who work by hand. During the peak production season from July to September, factory workers may have to work long shifts, and they are paid overtime rates for the extra hours. Newly hired production workers may be paid at rates slightly above the federal minimum wage. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reports that assemblers and fabricators earned median salaries of $43,570 in May 2024. Salaries ranged from $32,270 or less to $63,490 or more.

Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers (a classification including toy inspectors) earned median hourly wages of $22.82 in May 2024, according to the DOL. This wage translated to median yearly earnings of approximately $47,460, with a range in salary from a low of $34,590 to a high of $75,510 or more. Most production workers are unionized, and wage scales and conditions for wage increases often are set according to agreements between the union and company management.

Management and engineers are often paid a straight salary. Salary levels for these workers depend on their employer, job responsibilities, experience, seniority, and quality of work. According to the DOL, commercial and industrial designers (including toy designers or model makers) had median yearly earnings of $79,450 in May 2024. Those in the top 10 percent of the salary range earned more than $134,840. The bottom 10 percent of commercial and industrial designers earned less than $49,390.

In addition to wages, many workers receive other benefits, such as health and life insurance coverage, pension plans, and vacations.