Machine Feeders and Offbearers
Feed materials into or remove materials from machines or equipment that is automatic or tended by other workers.
- Median annual earnings
- $41,165
- Projected change
- −8.5%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 46.85K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
93.7% of the workforce
Growing to 42.85K by 2035
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Build the skills
ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
The work
What machine feeders and offbearers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Inspect materials and products for defects, and to ensure conformance to specifications.
- Record production and operational data, such as amount of materials processed.
- Push dual control buttons and move controls to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment.
- Weigh or measure materials or products to ensure conformance to specifications.
- Identify and mark materials, products, and samples, following instructions.
- Clean and maintain machinery, equipment, and work areas to ensure proper functioning and safe working conditions.
- Load materials and products into machines and equipment, or onto conveyors, using hand tools and moving devices.
- Transfer materials and products to and from machinery and equipment, using industrial trucks or hand trucks.
- Fasten, package, or stack materials and products, using hand tools and fastening equipment.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $32,132
- 25th percentile
- $36,329
- 50th percentile
- $41,165
- 75th percentile
- $48,412
- 90th percentile
- $58,148
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $41,165 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
4,001 fewer 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
- 93.7%
- Certificate
- 4%
- Associate degree
- 2.3%
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.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- 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.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- 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.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Feeders103 postings
- 02Press Feeders27 postings
- 03Feeder Operators17 postings
- 04Carers10 postings
- 05Feed Mill Managers4 postings
- 06Gluer Operators3 postings
- 07Finishing Machine Operators2 postings
- 08Offset Press Operators2 postings
- 09Feeder Drivers1 postings
- 10Folder Gluer Operators1 postings
- 11Mailroom Managers1 postings
- 12Set Up Machinists1 postings
Top employers
- 01Surge Staffing15 postings
- 02Smurfit Westrock14 postings
- 03Veritiv12 postings
- 04Graphic Packaging International10 postings
- 05Beef Northwest Feeders8 postings
- 06Staffmark8 postings
- 07Alsco5 postings
- 08Aerotek4 postings
- 09Diamond Graphics4 postings
- 10WestRock4 postings
- 114Over3 postings
- 12Alliance Workforce3 postings
- 13ManpowerGroup3 postings
- 14Natural Grocers3 postings
- 15Sonderen Packaging3 postings
- 16Barnhardt Manufacturing Company2 postings
- 17Cavalier Packaging Co2 postings
- 18Digital Room2 postings
- 19Express Employment Professionals2 postings
- 20Industrial Packaging Corporation2 postings
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