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Packers and Packagers, Hand: Career Profile
Pack or package by hand a wide variety of products and materials.
What Do Packers and Packagers, Hand Take On?
The core tasks performed by packers and packagers, hand span:
- Examine and inspect containers, materials, or products to ensure that product quality and packing specifications are met.
- Measure, weigh, and count products and materials.
- Record product, packaging, and order information on specified forms and records.
- Seal containers or materials, using glues, fasteners, nails, and hand tools.
- Assemble, line, and pad cartons, crates, and containers, using hand tools.
- Obtain, move, and sort products, materials, containers, and orders, using hand tools.
- Mark and label containers, container tags, or products, using marking tools.
- Clean containers, materials, supplies, or work areas, using cleaning solutions and hand tools.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective packers and packagers, hand combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Packers and Packagers, Hand Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Agricultural Produce Packer
- Ampoule Sealer
- Apple Packing Header
- Bag Filler
- Bag Loader
- Bag Sealer
- Bagger
- Band Shover
How Many Packers and Packagers, Hand Are There?
There are roughly 677,056 packers and packagers, hand working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +4.9% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Packers and Packagers, Hand
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $25,704 |
| Hourly median | $12.36 |
| 10th percentile | $20,000 |
| 25th percentile | $22,000 |
| 75th percentile | $29,650 |
| 90th percentile | $33,597 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $42,770 |
| Alaska | $40,360 |
| District of Columbia | $40,210 |
| Colorado | $39,000 |
| Vermont | $38,740 |
| Indiana | $38,640 |
| Minnesota | $38,550 |
| Nevada | $38,530 |
| Nebraska | $37,930 |
| Maine | $37,660 |
| Arizona | $37,380 |
| Ohio | $37,000 |
| Missouri | $36,850 |
| Wisconsin | $36,820 |
| Kentucky | $36,760 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,670 |
| California | $36,550 |
| Washington | $36,340 |
| Illinois | $36,280 |
| Idaho | $36,250 |
| New York | $36,150 |
| Michigan | $35,950 |
| Kansas | $35,660 |
| Iowa | $35,650 |
| Connecticut | $35,630 |
| Virginia | $35,590 |
| Oregon | $35,490 |
| Utah | $35,430 |
| Delaware | $35,230 |
| Maryland | $35,100 |
| Tennessee | $34,320 |
| Hawaii | $34,150 |
| Massachusetts | $34,110 |
| Montana | $34,040 |
| Rhode Island | $33,560 |
| North Carolina | $33,400 |
| West Virginia | $33,110 |
| Arkansas | $32,740 |
| Georgia | $32,650 |
| Oklahoma | $32,610 |
| New Hampshire | $31,820 |
| Mississippi | $31,730 |
| Texas | $31,210 |
| South Carolina | $30,830 |
| New Mexico | $29,750 |
| South Dakota | $29,750 |
| North Dakota | $28,480 |
| Wyoming | $28,280 |
| Louisiana | $27,900 |
| Alabama | $27,690 |
| Florida | $27,490 |
| Virgin Islands | $24,920 |
| Guam | $21,010 |
| Puerto Rico | $19,950 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for packers and packagers, hand differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $40,241 | 20.5% | 3.11 |
| Great Lakes | $36,849 | 14.1% | 1.01 |
| Far Western US | $36,524 | 18.9% | 1.15 |
| Plains States | $36,452 | 4.8% | 0.74 |
| Rocky Mountains | $36,420 | 2.6% | 0.76 |
| New England | $34,269 | 5.3% | 1.20 |
| Southwest | $32,026 | 10.5% | 0.88 |
| Southeast | $31,342 | 22.6% | 0.99 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greeley, CO | CO | $48,590 | 230 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | MO | $47,340 | 260 |
| Sheboygan, WI | WI | $46,370 | 590 |
| Hinesville, GA | GA | $44,730 | 50 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | AK | $44,720 | 90 |
| Joplin, MO-KS | MO | $43,120 | 460 |
| Columbia, MO | MO | $42,790 | 160 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | PA | $42,450 | 24,430 |
Top Industries Employing Packers and Packagers, Hand
The largest employers of packers and packagers, hand are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Trade | 155,140 | $33,370 |
| Manufacturing | 141,580 | $36,570 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 121,310 | $33,460 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 89,890 | $43,170 |
| Wholesale Trade | 53,620 | $36,630 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 22,020 | $34,330 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 4,250 | $39,090 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4,220 | $34,750 |
Packers and Packagers, Hand work in the following industries:
Software Packers and Packagers, Hand Use
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for packers and packagers, hand tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Spend Time Standing
- Contact With Others
Education and Training
Typical packers and packagers, hand 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
- Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping (Primary-Long)
- Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products (Primary-Short)
- Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders (Supplemental)
- Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers (Supplemental)
- Sewing Machine Operators (Supplemental)
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing (Supplemental)
- Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (Supplemental)
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (Supplemental)
Sources
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: 53-7064.00 (Packers and Packagers, Hand).
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