Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders pay in the United States

Goes furthest in North Dakota
·Production·
379k jobs
Figures from US Bureau of Labor StatisticsOccupational Employment and Wage Statistics
$20.78/hr median
379,060 employed
+4% to 2035
26% AI exposure
High school diploma or equivalent
51 states reported
and more...

What this work is

Operate or tend machines to prepare industrial or consumer products for storage or shipment. Includes cannery workers who pack food products.

Where the money actually goes furthest

New Hampshire pays the highest headline figure at $49,450. Adjusted for what things cost there it is worth $47,470 — less than North Dakota, where $47,390 is worth $53,271.

Pay by state

51 states and territories publish a median for this occupation. Switch the ranking to see how much the order changes.

Adjusted for what things cost in that state.

Median pay for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders by state, ranked by what it is worth locally
StateHourlyAnnualWorth locallyAfter state taxJobs
North Dakota$22.78/hr$47,390$53,271$47,390760
Missouri$23.11/hr$48,070$52,928$46,66712,620
Wyoming$23.51/hr$48,890$52,745$48,890360
Iowa$21.95/hr$45,660$52,028$44,4796,990
West Virginia$22.31/hr$46,410$51,854$44,959810
Nebraska$22.22/hr$46,220$51,298$44,7244,410
Kentucky$21.85/hr$45,450$50,410$43,7588,640
Kansas$21.58/hr$44,890$49,839$42,6737,920
South Dakota$21.09/hr$43,860$49,508$43,8601,000
Maine$23.06/hr$47,970$49,428$45,9721,490
Wisconsin$22.22/hr$46,220$49,117$44,86716,150
Idaho$22.46/hr$46,720$48,926$45,0173,950
Indiana$21.44/hr$44,600$47,787$43,29212,880
Vermont$22.44/hr$46,670$47,641$45,341880
New Hampshire$23.78/hr$49,450$47,470$49,450620
Tennessee$20.77/hr$43,190$47,012$43,1907,400
Montana$21.32/hr$44,350$46,856$42,847380
Ohio$20.82/hr$43,310$46,685$42,83517,850
Pennsylvania$21.39/hr$44,480$45,587$43,11419,340
Oklahoma$18.90/hr$39,310$44,751$37,9323,150
Colorado$22.12/hr$46,010$44,648$44,6754,760
Georgia$20.64/hr$42,920$44,573$41,31511,380
Virginia$21.61/hr$44,950$44,460$43,1116,150
Utah$21.05/hr$43,780$44,284$41,7886,350
Oregon$21.72/hr$45,180$43,711$41,7675,370
North Carolina$19.78/hr$41,150$43,623$39,94311,870
Louisiana$18.45/hr$38,370$43,498$37,5931,910
Arkansas$18.15/hr$37,740$43,409$36,4444,630
Mississippi$18.14/hr$37,720$43,381$36,1613,030
Michigan$20.05/hr$41,690$43,327$40,15610,940
Illinois$20.75/hr$43,150$43,167$41,15129,400
South Carolina$19.24/hr$40,010$42,677$39,1114,890
Alabama$18.18/hr$37,820$42,580$36,1193,240
Maryland$21.00/hr$43,670$41,606$41,7763,030
Minnesota$19.69/hr$40,960$41,533$39,5487,340
Arizona$19.50/hr$40,560$40,286$39,9117,090
Texas$18.73/hr$38,950$40,129$38,95022,970
California$21.16/hr$44,020$39,757$43,09843,430
Washington$20.05/hr$41,700$38,968$41,7008,450
New Mexico$17.13/hr$35,640$38,650$34,9811,550
Delaware$18.51/hr$38,500$38,573$36,930680
Massachusetts$19.40/hr$40,360$38,161$38,3425,020
Connecticut$18.97/hr$39,460$38,085$37,9341,540
Alaska$18.62/hr$38,730$37,837$38,730260
Rhode Island$18.43/hr$38,330$37,475$37,2881,100
Nevada$18.00/hr$37,440$37,447$37,4402,700
New Jersey$19.37/hr$40,280$37,018$39,5479,810
New York$18.91/hr$39,330$36,443$37,77118,150
Florida$17.87/hr$37,170$35,944$37,17014,010
Hawaii$17.70/hr$36,810$33,478$35,378380
Puerto Rico$13.45/hr$27,970Not publishedNot published3,520

National median for comparison: $43,220. “Worth locally” divides pay by the area’s price level, so a figure above the headline means money goes further there than the US average.

$43,220/year

$20.78/hr an hour, national median

Across the states

$23,260$59,160

25th to 75th percentile, lowest and highest state

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How much of this job could software do?

26%Low exposure
Hands, places, peopleLanguage and information

The two methods disagree — treat any single figure for this job with caution.

Method 1 — ability mix42%

Cognitive share of O*NET ability importance (element families 1.A.1–1.A.4), O*NET 31.0

Method 2 — task content10%

Importance-weighted share of O*NET tasks classed as language or information work, O*NET 31.0

What this does and does not mean

Exposure means a model could plausibly do a meaningful share of the tasks in this job. It is not a forecast that the job disappears, and it says nothing about whether any employer will actually automate it.

For what the labour market expects, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in this occupation to change by +4% between 2025 and 2035, with about 41,400 openings a year.

Which parts are exposed

  • 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.

Amber marks language and information work. Green marks tasks that need a person in a place.

Where packaging and filling machine operators and tenders move next

Occupations that share most of this one’s skills, with the pay difference and the change in AI exposure.

Location

San Diego, CA, United States of America (SAN-San Diego Intl.)

Photograph by EqualStock IN.