What is a Packaging and Filling Machine Operator or Tender?
Job 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
- Sort, grade, weigh, and inspect products, verifying and adjusting product weight or measurement to meet specifications.
- Observe machine operations to ensure quality and conformity of filled or packaged products to standards.
- Tend or operate machine that packages product.
- Monitor the production line, watching for problems such as pile-ups, jams, or glue that isn’t sticking properly.
- Secure finished packaged items by hand tying, sewing, gluing, stapling, or attaching fastener.
- Clean and remove damaged or otherwise inferior materials to prepare raw products for processing.
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Skills Needed to be a Packaging & Filling Machine Operator or Tender
When polled, Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
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.
Related Job Titles
- Canning Machine Operator
- Production Line Worker
- Can Line Operator
- Capper
- Plug Overwrap Machine Tender
Job Demand for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
In the United States, there were 383,000 jobs for Packaging and Filling Machine Operator or Tender in 2016. 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. There will be an estimated 44,600 positions for Packaging & Filling Machine Operator or Tender per 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.
Packaging & Filling Machine Operator or Tender Salary
The average yearly salary of a Packaging & Filling Machine Operator or Tender ranges between $21,260 and $48,890.

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders who work in Wyoming, Kentucky, or Minnesota, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders in different U.S. states.
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 |
What Tools do Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders:
- 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?
Learn what Packaging and Filling Machine Operator or Tender education requirements there are.

What work experience do I need to become a Packaging & Filling Machine Operator or Tender?

Who Employs Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders?

Below are examples of industries where Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders work:

Related Careers
Those interested in being a Packaging and Filling Machine Operator or Tender may also be interested in:
Those who work as a Packaging and Filling Machine Operator or Tender sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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