Skilled Trades
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
Operate or tend machines to prepare industrial or consumer products for storage or shipment. Includes cannery workers who pack food products.
Median salary
$40,900
Typical range
$32k – $59k
Job outlook
+5% (faster than average)
AI exposure
Plan a path to Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
Education
Typical entry: No degree required
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
Entry / Junior
$31,890
~2 yrs to advance
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
Established
$40,900
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
Senior
$49,905
Key skills
A typical day
- •Attach identification labels to finished packaged items, or cut stencils and stencil information on containers, such as lot numbers or shipping destinations.
- •Sort, grade, weigh, and inspect products, verifying and adjusting product weight or measurement to meet specifications.
- •Stop or reset machines when malfunctions occur, clear machine jams, and report malfunctions to a supervisor.
- •Observe machine operations to ensure quality and conformity of filled or packaged products to standards.
- •Remove finished packaged items from machine and separate rejected items.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Skilled Trades
Explore all- Purdue University50% admit · $78,000 grad pay
- Ohio State University53% admit · $68,000 grad pay
- Pennsylvania State University55% admit · $70,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.