Description

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

Interests

Realistic
Conventional

Learn More about Interests

Work Values

Support
Relationships
Independence

Learn More about Work Values

Work Styles

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Self-Control
Independence
Cooperation

Learn More about Work Styles

Tasks

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.

Work Activities

Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
Handling and Moving Objects
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
Getting Information

Detailed Work Activities

Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.

Technology Skills

Electronic mail software
Presentation software
Spreadsheet software
Label making software
Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Skills

Operations Monitoring
Monitoring
Active Listening
Coordination
Operation and Control

Knowledge

Production and Processing
Mechanical
Public Safety and Security
Education and Training
English Language

Most Common Education Level

The “Most Common Education Level” refers to the level of education held by the majority of workers in a given occupation. For example, if the highest percentage of workers in a role have an Associate’s Degree, that suggests this is the typical educational requirement. Knowing this helps you plan how many years of education you may need to pursue that career.

Certificates

These are the certification(s) applicable to Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders:

Certificate name

Certified Packaging Professional

Certifying Organization

Institute of Packaging Professionals

Type

Advanced

Certificate name

Certified Professional in Training

Certifying Organization

Institute of Packaging Professionals

Type

Core

Certificate name	Certifying Organization	Type
Certified Packaging Professional	Institute of Packaging Professionals	Advanced
Certified Professional in Training	Institute of Packaging Professionals	Core

Income Percentile

The income percentiles show how earnings are distributed within a profession. The 10th percentile means that 10% of workers earned less than that amount. The median (50th percentile) indicates that half of workers earned more, and half earned less. The 90th percentile reflects what the top 10% of earners in the field make.

Income Percentile	Income
Low (10%)	$NaN
Median (50%)	$NaN
High (90%)	$NaN

Income by Experience

This table shows how income typically grows with experience—from entry level (0–2 years), to mid-level (3–7 years), to senior level (8+ years).

Experience	Income
Entry Level	$50,000
Mid Level	$100,000
Senior Level	$150,000

Employability

There are currently 367,900 jobs in this career path. Over the next 10 years, that number is expected to increase to 392,500 positions, reflecting a projected growth of 7%.

The Projected Job Growth figure refers to the expected increase or decrease in employment within a specific career field over a certain period of time.

Projected Job Growth of 7%

Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers

Median Annual Income

$44,030

Projected Job Growth

-3 %

Career Cluster(s)

Advanced Manufacturing

Most Common Education Level

High school diploma or equivalent

Set up, operate, or tend machines that extrude and form continuous filaments from synthetic materials, such as liquid polymer, rayon, and fiberglass.

RealisticConventional

Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Median Annual Income

$48,120

Projected Job Growth

+2 %

Career Cluster(s)

Advanced Manufacturing

Most Common Education Level

High school diploma or equivalent

Set up, operate, or tend continuous flow or vat-type equipment; filter presses; shaker screens; centrifuges; condenser tubes; precipitating, fermenting, or evaporating tanks; scrubbing towers; or batch stills. These machines extract, sort, or separate liquids, gases, or solids from other materials to recover a refined product. Includes dairy processing equipment operators.

RealisticConventional

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Median Annual Income

$44,510

Projected Job Growth

-1 %

Career Cluster(s)

Advanced Manufacturing

Most Common Education Level

High school diploma or equivalent

Set up, operate, or tend machines to crush, grind, or polish materials, such as coal, glass, grain, stone, food, or rubber.

RealisticConventional

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Median Annual Income

$44,310

Projected Job Growth

-3 %

Career Cluster(s)

Advanced Manufacturing

Most Common Education Level

High school diploma or equivalent

Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.

RealisticConventional

Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Median Annual Income

$42,670

Projected Job Growth

+3 %

Career Cluster(s)

Advanced Manufacturing

Most Common Education Level

High school diploma or equivalent

Set up, operate, or tend machines, such as glass-forming machines, plodder machines, and tuber machines, to shape and form products such as glassware, food, rubber, soap, brick, tile, clay, wax, tobacco, or cosmetics.

RealisticConventional

Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders

Median Annual Income

$43,540

Projected Job Growth

-1 %

Career Cluster(s)

Advanced Manufacturing

Most Common Education Level

High school diploma or equivalent

Operate or tend bonding machines that use adhesives to join items for further processing or to form a completed product. Processes include joining veneer sheets into plywood; gluing paper; or joining rubber and rubberized fabric parts, plastic, simulated leather, or other materials.

RealisticConventional

Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Median Annual Income

$47,250

Projected Job Growth

-13 %

Career Cluster(s)

Advanced Manufacturing

Most Common Education Level

High school diploma or equivalent

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.

RealisticConventional

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand

Median Annual Income

$37,660

Projected Job Growth

+4 %

Career Cluster(s)

Supply Chain & Transportation

Most Common Education Level

No formal educational credential

Manually move freight, stock, luggage, or other materials, or perform other general labor. Includes all manual laborers not elsewhere classified.

RealisticConventional

Machine Feeders and Offbearers

Median Annual Income

$39,250

Projected Job Growth

-13 %

Career Cluster(s)

Advanced Manufacturing

Most Common Education Level

No formal educational credential

Feed materials into or remove materials from machines or equipment that is automatic or tended by other workers.

RealisticConventional

Packers and Packagers, Hand

Median Annual Income

$34,830

Projected Job Growth

-4 %

Career Cluster(s)

Supply Chain & Transportation

Most Common Education Level

No formal educational credential

Pack or package by hand a wide variety of products and materials.

ConventionalRealistic

The career information and data on this site incorporates information from O*NET Web Services by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), with ONET® being a registered trademark of USDOL/ETA. Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA; CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED); and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).