What Does it Take to Be a Packaging and Filling Machine Operator or Tender?
Position Description Operate or tend machines to prepare industrial or consumer products for storage or shipment. Includes cannery workers who pack food products.
Life As a Packaging & Filling Machine Operator or Tender: What Do They Do?
- 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.
- Start machine by engaging controls.
- Supply materials to spindles, conveyors, hoppers, or other feeding devices and unload packaged product.
- Monitor the production line, watching for problems such as pile-ups, jams, or glue that isn’t sticking properly.
- Tend or operate machine that packages product.
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What a Packaging & Filling Machine Operator or Tender Should Know
Below is a list of the skills most Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders say are important on the job.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Types of Packaging & Filling Machine Operator or Tender Jobs
- Filler
- Oxygen Tank Filler
- Bagging Machine Operator
- Bag Bundler
- Carton Packaging Machine Operator
Packaging & Filling Machine Operator or Tender Employment Estimates
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 383,000 jobs in the United States for Packaging and Filling Machine Operator or Tender. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 1.7% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 6,700 new jobs for Packaging and Filling Machine Operator or Tender by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 44,600 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Packaging & Filling Machine Operator or Tender are Utah, Nevada, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Delaware, Maine, or Kansas. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
How Much Does a Packaging & Filling Machine Operator or Tender Make?
The salary for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders ranges between about $21,260 and $48,890 a year.

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders who work in Wyoming, Kentucky, or Minnesota, make the highest salaries.
How much do Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $29,130 |
Alaska | $26,890 |
Arizona | $30,350 |
Arkansas | $31,050 |
California | $32,480 |
Colorado | $34,750 |
Connecticut | $38,480 |
Delaware | $33,000 |
District of Columbia | $36,540 |
Florida | $28,290 |
Georgia | $33,240 |
Hawaii | $30,620 |
Idaho | $33,790 |
Illinois | $33,900 |
Indiana | $32,630 |
Iowa | $33,130 |
Kansas | $35,950 |
Kentucky | $36,550 |
Louisiana | $29,680 |
Maine | $34,390 |
Maryland | $31,800 |
Massachusetts | $32,580 |
Michigan | $34,270 |
Minnesota | $35,780 |
Mississippi | $28,900 |
Missouri | $35,660 |
Montana | $29,570 |
Nebraska | $36,580 |
Nevada | $28,780 |
New Hampshire | $34,690 |
New Jersey | $29,830 |
New Mexico | $26,560 |
New York | $31,590 |
North Carolina | $32,560 |
North Dakota | $30,880 |
Ohio | $33,080 |
Oklahoma | $28,870 |
Oregon | $31,890 |
Pennsylvania | $35,200 |
Rhode Island | $30,140 |
South Carolina | $29,700 |
South Dakota | $30,310 |
Tennessee | $29,990 |
Texas | $30,570 |
Utah | $31,390 |
Vermont | $32,960 |
Virginia | $32,930 |
Washington | $34,740 |
West Virginia | $29,890 |
Wisconsin | $34,600 |
Wyoming | $45,690 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Data entry software
- Email software
- Word processing software
- SAP
- Spreadsheet software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Label printing software
How do I Become a Packaging & Filling Machine Operator or Tender?
Education needed to be a Packaging and Filling Machine Operator or Tender:

How many years of work experience do I need?

Who Employs Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders?

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders work in the following industries:

Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those interested in being a Packaging and Filling Machine Operator or Tender may also be interested in:
Career changers with experience as a Packaging and Filling Machine Operator or Tender sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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