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Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: Career Profile
Set up, operate, or tend machines to mix or blend materials, such as chemicals, tobacco, liquids, color pigments, or explosive ingredients.
What Tasks Do Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders cover:
- Weigh or measure materials, ingredients, or products to ensure conformance to requirements.
- Read work orders to determine production specifications or information.
- Observe production or monitor equipment to ensure safe and efficient operation.
- Mix or blend ingredients by starting machines and mixing for specified times.
- Stop mixing or blending machines when specified product qualities are obtained and open valves and start pumps to transfer mixtures.
- Compound or process ingredients or dyes, according to formulas.
- Examine materials, ingredients, or products visually or with hands to ensure conformance to established standards.
- Operate or tend machines to mix or blend any of a wide variety of materials, such as spices, dough batter, tobacco, fruit juices, chemicals, livestock feed, food products, color pigments, or explosive ingredients.
Skills and Knowledge
Top mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Abrasive Mixer
- Acetylene Cylinder Packing Mixer
- Acid Adjuster
- Acid Blower
- Acid Mixer
- Ammonia Worker
- Asphalt Blender
- Asphalt Mixer
Job Outlook
There are roughly 143,481 mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +0.2% over the projection horizon.
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $50,836 |
| Hourly median | $24.44 |
| 10th percentile | $32,213 |
| 25th percentile | $41,524 |
| 75th percentile | $60,147 |
| 90th percentile | $69,458 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $58,850 |
| Wyoming | $57,500 |
| Washington | $54,040 |
| Wisconsin | $53,600 |
| Maine | $52,650 |
| Maryland | $51,530 |
| Minnesota | $51,460 |
| New Hampshire | $50,290 |
| Virginia | $50,270 |
| South Carolina | $49,870 |
| Oregon | $49,860 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,600 |
| New York | $49,480 |
| Louisiana | $49,290 |
| Massachusetts | $48,970 |
| Kentucky | $48,890 |
| Vermont | $48,880 |
| Rhode Island | $48,710 |
| Illinois | $48,420 |
| Nevada | $48,290 |
| Missouri | $48,280 |
| Indiana | $48,220 |
| California | $47,840 |
| Ohio | $47,550 |
| Kansas | $47,450 |
| North Dakota | $47,310 |
| West Virginia | $47,110 |
| Florida | $46,630 |
| Iowa | $46,480 |
| Arizona | $46,370 |
| Delaware | $46,270 |
| North Carolina | $46,220 |
| Connecticut | $46,020 |
| Georgia | $45,820 |
| Michigan | $45,690 |
| Tennessee | $45,560 |
| Alabama | $45,510 |
| Colorado | $45,340 |
| Arkansas | $45,250 |
| Idaho | $45,160 |
| Oklahoma | $45,030 |
| Utah | $44,920 |
| Mississippi | $44,260 |
| Nebraska | $44,230 |
| Texas | $42,210 |
| South Dakota | $41,700 |
| Montana | $37,630 |
| New Mexico | $36,330 |
| Alaska | $34,410 |
| Puerto Rico | $26,380 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $51,238 | 12.8% | 0.93 |
| Far Western US | $49,056 | 10.4% | 0.66 |
| New England | $48,991 | 1.9% | 0.59 |
| Great Lakes | $48,585 | 23.7% | 1.73 |
| Plains States | $47,504 | 9.2% | 1.51 |
| Southeast | $46,996 | 25.9% | 1.23 |
| Rocky Mountains | $45,444 | 3.3% | 1.18 |
| Southwest | $42,744 | 12.0% | 0.97 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topeka, KS | KS | $74,270 | 110 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | MN | $73,400 | 80 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $67,410 | 350 |
| Wausau, WI | WI | $66,960 | 210 |
| New Haven, CT | CT | $66,340 | 70 |
| Enid, OK | OK | $64,040 | 70 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | VA | $63,770 | 80 |
| Appleton, WI | WI | $63,380 | 210 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 82,210 | $48,100 |
| Wholesale Trade | 8,620 | $47,540 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 4,570 | $37,310 |
| Construction | 1,270 | $48,030 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 1,180 | $51,260 |
| Retail Trade | 1,080 | $39,010 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 580 | $56,370 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 470 | $49,840 |
Below are examples of industries where mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders work:
Tech Stack
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The work environment for mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders 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
- Time Pressure
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How to Become Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Most mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders (Supplemental)
- Food Batchmakers (Primary-Short)
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders (Primary-Long)
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers (Supplemental)
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from 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: 51-9023.00 (Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders).
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