---

Conveyor Operators and Tenders in Iowa

Thinking about a career as a Conveyor Operators and Tenders in Iowa? Here’s what the data says. Control or tend conveyors or conveyor systems that move materials or products to and from stockpiles, processing stations, departments, or vehicles. May control speed and routing of materials or products.

What do Conveyor Operators and Tenders Make in Iowa?

For conveyor operators and tenders working in Iowa, the typical annual salary is $47,720 per year (or roughly $22.94/hour).Pay can range from $37,730 at the 10th percentile to $61,540 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$37,730	$18.14
25th percentile	$44,400	$21.35
Median (50th)	$47,720	$22.94
75th percentile	$59,420	$28.57
90th percentile	$61,540	$29.59

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Iowa nationwide is 2.33, meaning that conveyor operators and tenders are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, conveyor operators and tenders earn a median of $35,021 per year ($16.84/hour), higher than the Iowa median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 549,923 conveyor operators and tenders in the U.S.. In Iowa alone, about 610 people work in this role. That’s higher than the typical state, which employs around 480 conveyor operators and tenders.

Top Iowa Metros for Conveyor Operators and Tenders

The largest metro-area employers of conveyor operators and tenders in Iowa.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD	40	$45,930
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL	30	$42,650

Top States for Conveyor Operators and Tenders Employment

These states have the highest employment of conveyor operators and tenders work.

State	Number Employed
California	3,480
Texas	1,910
Kentucky	1,530
Kansas	1,040
Nebraska	1,030
Virginia	960
Michigan	820
Florida	810
Georgia	790
North Carolina	760
Oklahoma	740
Arizona	670
Indiana	660
Ohio	660
New York	650
Washington	610
Iowa	610
Minnesota	590
Illinois	580
Pennsylvania	570

Highest-Paying States for Conveyor Operators and Tenders

These states pay the most for conveyor operators and tenders.

State	Annual Median Salary
Wyoming	$75,550
West Virginia	$63,200
Kentucky	$55,920
Alabama	$54,480
Louisiana	$47,840
Iowa	$47,720
Montana	$46,090
Indiana	$45,410
Pennsylvania	$44,590
Illinois	$44,260

Skills

Top conveyor operators and tenders skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Top abilities for conveyor operators and tenders, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Conveyor Operators and Tenders typically:

• Inform supervisors of equipment malfunctions that need to be addressed.
• Observe conveyor operations and monitor lights, dials, and gauges to maintain specified operating levels and to detect equipment malfunctions.
• Record production data such as weights, types, quantities, and storage locations of materials, as well as equipment performance problems and downtime.
• Load, unload, or adjust materials or products on conveyors by hand, by using lifts, hoists, and scoops, or by opening gates, chutes, or hoppers.
• Stop equipment or machinery and clear jams, using poles, bars, and hand tools, or remove damaged materials from conveyors.
• Distribute materials, supplies, and equipment to work stations, using lifts and trucks.
• Observe packages moving along conveyors to identify packages, detect defective packaging, and perform quality control.
• Collect samples of materials or products, checking them to ensure conformance to specifications or sending them to laboratories for analysis.
• Position deflector bars, gates, chutes, or spouts to divert flow of materials from one conveyor onto another conveyor.
• Repair or replace equipment components or parts such as blades, rolls, and pumps.
• Manipulate controls, levers, and valves to start pumps, auxiliary equipment, or conveyors, and to adjust equipment positions, speeds, timing, and material flows.
• Weigh or measure materials and products, using scales or other measuring instruments, or read scales on conveyors that continually weigh products, to verify specified tonnages and prevent overloads.

Work Activities

• Getting Information
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel

Related Careers

Other careers like conveyor operators and tenders include:

• Agricultural Equipment Operators
• Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
• Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining
• Industrial Machinery Mechanics
• Maintenance Workers, Machinery
• Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Also Known As

Aerial Tram Operator, Ash Conveyor Operator, Assembly Line Tender, Bed Operator, Belt Operator, Belt Technician (Belt Tech), Belt Tender, Beltman, Bin Tripper Operator, Boom Conveyor Operator, Brick Unloader Tender, Bull-Chain Operator, Cement Loader, Chain Puller, Char Conveyor Tender.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 53-7011.00