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Machine Feeders and Offbearers: Career Profile
Feed materials into or remove materials from machines or equipment that is automatic or tended by other workers.
The Daily Work of Machine Feeders and Offbearers Perform?
The core tasks performed by machine feeders and offbearers include:
- Inspect materials and products for defects, and to ensure conformance to specifications.
- Record production and operational data, such as amount of materials processed.
- Push dual control buttons and move controls to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment.
- Weigh or measure materials or products to ensure conformance to specifications.
- Identify and mark materials, products, and samples, following instructions.
- Clean and maintain machinery, equipment, and work areas to ensure proper functioning and safe working conditions.
- Load materials and products into machines and equipment, or onto conveyors, using hand tools and moving devices.
- Transfer materials and products to and from machinery and equipment, using industrial trucks or hand trucks.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top machine feeders and offbearers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Acid Dumper
- Archery Equipment Hay Sorter
- Assembly Machine Operator
- Automatic Glove Turner and Former
- Automatic Nail Polish Brush Machine Feeder
- Automatic Nailing Machine Feeder
- Automatic Spooler Operator
- Automatic Stacker
How Many Machine Feeders and Offbearers Are There?
There are about 1,008,982 machine feeders and offbearers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +5.0% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Machine Feeders and Offbearers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $59,472 |
| Hourly median | $28.59 |
| 10th percentile | $33,954 |
| 25th percentile | $46,713 |
| 75th percentile | $72,231 |
| 90th percentile | $84,990 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Machine Feeders and Offbearers Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Louisiana | $50,510 |
| New York | $50,490 |
| Minnesota | $49,630 |
| Kansas | $49,430 |
| Wisconsin | $47,470 |
| Missouri | $47,470 |
| Oregon | $45,590 |
| Maryland | $45,340 |
| Idaho | $45,130 |
| New Hampshire | $45,110 |
| Pennsylvania | $44,090 |
| Washington | $43,810 |
| Iowa | $43,280 |
| Delaware | $43,170 |
| New Jersey | $42,930 |
| Ohio | $42,910 |
| Maine | $42,120 |
| Massachusetts | $40,630 |
| Michigan | $39,870 |
| Arizona | $39,870 |
| Georgia | $39,550 |
| Nevada | $39,470 |
| Utah | $39,440 |
| Kentucky | $39,420 |
| Texas | $39,310 |
| California | $38,960 |
| Mississippi | $38,420 |
| Arkansas | $38,340 |
| Nebraska | $38,250 |
| South Dakota | $38,240 |
| Colorado | $38,020 |
| Florida | $37,700 |
| Indiana | $37,650 |
| Alabama | $37,070 |
| Vermont | $36,860 |
| Tennessee | $36,660 |
| South Carolina | $36,580 |
| Virginia | $36,450 |
| Connecticut | $36,280 |
| North Carolina | $36,120 |
| Oklahoma | $35,690 |
| Rhode Island | $30,790 |
| West Virginia | $29,820 |
| Puerto Rico | $20,890 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for machine feeders and offbearers shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $46,189 | 7.9% | 0.56 |
| Plains States | $44,582 | 7.9% | 1.98 |
| Far Western US | $40,981 | 23.7% | 1.84 |
| Great Lakes | $40,703 | 18.3% | 2.53 |
| New England | $39,818 | 2.0% | 0.86 |
| Rocky Mountains | $39,457 | 2.0% | 0.60 |
| Southwest | $39,060 | 8.9% | 0.79 |
| Southeast | $37,543 | 29.3% | 1.80 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Machine Feeders and Offbearers
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO-KS | MO | $71,910 | 410 |
| Columbus, OH | OH | $59,320 | 640 |
| Visalia, CA | CA | $55,680 | 160 |
| Lancaster, PA | PA | $53,930 | 120 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | MD | $53,670 | 40 |
| Williamsport, PA | PA | $53,020 | 50 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | MN | $52,220 | 210 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | NY | $51,520 | 50 |
Which Industries Hire Machine Feeders and Offbearers
The largest employers of machine feeders and offbearers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 31,470 | $39,310 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 9,100 | $48,410 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2,670 | $36,400 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1,250 | $34,200 |
| Wholesale Trade | 900 | $40,630 |
| Information | 440 | $38,020 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 290 | $37,510 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 200 | $44,780 |
Below are examples of industries where machine feeders and offbearers work:
Software Machine Feeders and Offbearers Use
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of machine feeders and offbearers is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Spend Time Standing
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
How to Become Machine Feeders and Offbearers
Most machine feeders and offbearers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics (Supplemental)
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners (Supplemental)
- Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (Supplemental)
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers (Supplemental)
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 53-7063.00 (Machine Feeders and Offbearers).
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