← All careers

Skilled Trades

Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Set up, operate, or tend paper goods machines that perform a variety of functions, such as converting, sawing, corrugating, banding, wrapping, boxing, stitching, forming, or sealing paper or paperboard sheets into products.

Median salary (BLS)

$50,270

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$37k – $70k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

Plan a path to Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: No degree required

Plan my path to this →

How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

    Entry / Junior

    $37,300

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

    Established

    $50,270

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

    Senior

    $60,295

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Examine completed work to detect defects and verify conformance to work orders, and adjust machinery as necessary to correct production problems.
  • •Observe operation of various machines to detect and correct machine malfunctions such as improper forming, glue flow, or pasteboard tension.
  • •Start machines and move controls to regulate tension on pressure rolls, to synchronize speed of machine components, and to adjust temperatures of glue or paraffin.
  • •Disassemble machines to maintain, repair, or replace broken or worn parts, using hand or power tools.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

Explore all

Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.