Careers / Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$43,220
United States, 2025
Employment
379,060
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Operate or tend machines to prepare industrial or consumer products for storage or shipment. Includes cannery workers who pack food products.
- O*NET code
- 51-9111.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- Regulate machine flow, speed, or temperature.
- 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.
- Monitor the production line, watching for problems such as pile-ups, jams, or glue that isn't sticking properly.
- Inspect and remove defective products and packaging material.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$33,390
25th percentile
$36,850
75th percentile
$49,070
90th percentile
$60,030
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring3.3
- Monitoring3.1
- Coordination3.0
- Operation and Control3.0
- Active Listening3.0
- Reading Comprehension2.9
- Critical Thinking2.9
- Quality Control Analysis2.9
- Social Perceptiveness2.9
- Equipment Maintenance2.9
- Time Management2.9
- Complex Problem Solving2.8
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 5 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
5
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Operation and Control | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
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Compare with Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Collins, CO | $79,800 | 670 | 2025 |
| Salisbury, MD | $69,060 | 60 | 2025 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $67,700 | 1,080 | 2025 |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | $61,680 | 160 | 2025 |
| Owensboro, KY | $61,250 | 980 | 2025 |
| Eau Claire, WI | $60,340 | 330 | 2025 |
| Decatur, IL | $59,160 | 160 | 2025 |
| Traverse City, MI | $54,020 | 200 | 2025 |
| Manchester, NH | $53,540 | 240 | 2025 |
| Lewiston, ME | $51,980 | 320 | 2025 |
| Twin Falls, ID | $51,430 | 950 | 2025 |
| Des Moines, IA | $51,100 | 850 | 2025 |
| St. Joseph, MO | $50,930 | 1,120 | 2025 |
| Napa, CA | $50,850 | 960 | 2025 |
| Durham, NC | $50,260 | 630 | 2025 |
| Johnstown, PA | $50,070 | 100 | 2025 |
| Carson City, NV | $49,920 | 70 | 2025 |
| Battle Creek, MI | $49,910 | 390 | 2025 |
| Greensboro, NC | $49,880 | 1,110 | 2025 |
| Lancaster, PA | $49,680 | 1,320 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.