Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Moderate-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
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Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders work in a sizable national occupation, with about 381,000 people employed across the country. The role centers on operating and tending machines that package or fill products, drawing on strengths in fine motor skills, physical strength and stamina, mechanical aptitude, and attention to detail. Mathematics, science knowledge, problem solving, and decision making also contribute to success in this field, along with customer service skills and, for some paths, leadership and creativity. The national median annual salary of $40,900 places this occupation in a solid earning range for people who typically enter with a high school diploma or equivalent. With projected employment growth of 4.5% and about 45,000 annual openings, this career offers a combination of existing scale and ongoing demand. For those exploring related paths, similar occupations include production workers (all other), various machine assemblers, and several types of metal and plastic machine setters, operators, and tenders.
Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders earn a national median annual salary of $40,900. Pay can vary by location. Among the top states by opportunity score, median salaries range from $39,330 in New York to $46,010 in Colorado. California and Washington also show median salaries above $40,000, at $44,020 and $41,700 respectively, while Massachusetts is close to the national median at $40,360. In leading metro areas, typical earnings can be somewhat higher. Median salaries reach $46,310 in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro and $45,740 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA. The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro also stands above the national median at $44,390. These figures suggest that workers may see different earning levels depending on state and metro, even when doing similar work within this occupation.
Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders represent a large employment group nationally, with about 381,000 workers. The occupation is projected to grow by 4.5%, indicating that employment is expected to expand over the projection period. In addition, the occupation is projected to have about 45,000 annual openings. Those openings can come from a combination of new positions created by growth and positions that need to be filled when workers leave or change roles. This combination of a substantial existing workforce, positive projected growth, and steady annual openings points to continued demand for people with the skills needed to operate and tend packaging and filling machines. For job seekers and career changers, these figures indicate that opportunities should continue to be available in different parts of the country as employers hire for both new and replacement positions.
Geography can make a noticeable difference for packaging and filling machine operators and tenders. Among states, California has the highest CareerGPS opportunity score at 67.38, with a median salary of $44,020 and employment of 43,430. Massachusetts and New York follow closely with opportunity scores just under 66, and median salaries of $40,360 and $39,330. Colorado stands out for a higher median salary of $46,010, paired with a 56.97 opportunity score, while Washington combines a $41,700 median salary with an opportunity score of 56.29. All of these states share the same projected growth rate of 4.5% for this occupation. At the metro level, opportunity scores are even higher in some areas. The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metros both post opportunity scores above 77, while San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA reaches 68.75. Median pay in these metros ranges from $38,790 in New York-Newark-Jersey City to $46,310 in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, illustrating meaningful pay differences across regions.
The typical education needed to become a packaging and filling machine operator or tender is a high school diploma or equivalent. This makes the field accessible to people who are completing or have completed secondary education and are ready to move directly into the workforce. While the formal education requirement is relatively modest, the role draws on a broad set of skills. Fine motor skills, physical strength and stamina, and mechanical aptitude are central to working effectively with machinery. Being detail oriented supports accuracy and quality, while mathematics and science knowledge help with understanding measurements, processes, or technical information. Problem solving and decision making are important for handling issues that arise on the job, and customer service skills can be valuable when interacting with others in the supply chain. In some settings, leadership and creativity and innovation can support advancement or more complex responsibilities within this occupation or related production roles.
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