Food Batchmakers
Agriculture, Food and Natural ResourcesO*NET 51-3092.00United States
Set up and operate equipment that mixes or blends ingredients used in the manufacturing of food products. Includes candy makers and cheese makers.
- Median annual earnings
- $41,895
- Projected change
- +11.2%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 179.54K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
51.7% of the workforce
Growing to 199.61K by 2035
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These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What food batchmakers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Record production and test data for each food product batch, such as the ingredients used, temperature, test results, and time cycle.
- Clean and sterilize vats and factory processing areas.
- Set up, operate, and tend equipment that cooks, mixes, blends, or processes ingredients in the manufacturing of food products, according to formulas or recipes.
- Mix or blend ingredients, according to recipes, using a paddle or an agitator, or by controlling vats that heat and mix ingredients.
- Follow recipes to produce food products of specified flavor, texture, clarity, bouquet, or color.
- Select and measure or weigh ingredients, using English or metric measures and balance scales.
- Give directions to other workers who are assisting in the batchmaking process.
- Press switches and turn knobs to start, adjust, and regulate equipment, such as beaters, extruders, discharge pipes, and salt pumps.
- Observe and listen to equipment to detect possible malfunctions, such as leaks or plugging, and report malfunctions or undesirable tastes to supervisors.
- Determine mixing sequences, based on knowledge of temperature effects and of the solubility of specific ingredients.
- Observe gauges and thermometers to determine if the mixing chamber temperature is within specified limits, and turn valves to control the temperature.
- Turn valve controls to start equipment and to adjust operation to maintain product quality.
- Modify cooking and forming operations based on the results of sampling processes, adjusting time cycles and ingredients to achieve desired qualities, such as firmness or texture.
- Examine, feel, and taste product samples during production to evaluate quality, color, texture, flavor, and bouquet, and document the results.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $31,513
- 25th percentile
- $35,860
- 50th percentile
- $41,895
- 75th percentile
- $49,468
- 90th percentile
- $59,527
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $41,895 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+11.2%faster than average
2025179,537 jobs
2035 projected199,614 jobs
20,077 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 51.7%
- Some college
- 26.7%
- Certificate
- 21.5%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- 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.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Managers/Technicians141 postings
- 02Cheese Makers31 postings
- 03Ice Cream Makers25 postings
- 04Brewers21 postings
- 05Drafting Technicians17 postings
- 06Batch Makers16 postings
- 07Mixers13 postings
- 08Dough Makers12 postings
- 09Batchers11 postings
- 10Candy Makers10 postings
- 11Chocolatiers8 postings
- 12Food Production Associates8 postings
- 13Specialty Team Leaders8 postings
- 14Juicers7 postings
- 15Blender Operators6 postings
- 16Blenders6 postings
- 17Food Production Workers6 postings
- 18Blending Technicians5 postings
- 19Brewing Interns5 postings
- 20Ice Cream Scoopers5 postings
Top employers
- 01A Head For Profits139 postings
- 02ManpowerGroup20 postings
- 03Valley Queen Cheese Factory18 postings
- 04Litehouse13 postings
- 05Octopi Brewing10 postings
- 06Brookshire Grocery Company7 postings
- 07Dairy Farmers of America6 postings
- 08Keurig Dr Pepper5 postings
- 09Saputo Cheese USA5 postings
- 10Aerotek4 postings
- 11Behr Process Corporation4 postings
- 12Coast Personnel Services4 postings
- 13Batch Mead3 postings
- 14Behr Paint3 postings
- 15Chairmans Foods3 postings
- 16Express Employment Professionals3 postings
- 17Gale Building Products3 postings
- 18Kroger3 postings
- 19Leprino Foods Company3 postings
- 20Michigan Milk Producers Assoc3 postings
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