Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders

ManufacturingO*NET 51-9111.00United States

Operate or tend machines to prepare industrial or consumer products for storage or shipment. Includes cannery workers who pack food products.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $43,169
Projected change: +8.3%
Typical education: High school diploma or less
Employment: 384.2K jobs

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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 packaging and filling machine operators and tenders do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Attach identification labels to finished packaged items, or cut stencils and stencil information on containers, such as lot numbers or shipping destinations.
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.
Remove finished packaged items from machine and separate rejected items.
Stop or reset machines when malfunctions occur, clear machine jams, and report malfunctions to a supervisor.
Tend or operate machine that packages product.
Inspect and remove defective products and packaging material.
Monitor the production line, watching for problems such as pile-ups, jams, or glue that isn't sticking properly.
Start machine by engaging controls.
Regulate machine flow, speed, or temperature.
Clean, oil, and make minor adjustments or repairs to machinery and equipment, such as opening valves or setting guides.
Adjust machine components and machine tension and pressure according to size or processing angle of product.
Supply materials to spindles, conveyors, hoppers, or other feeding devices and unload packaged product.
Stack finished packaged items, or wrap protective material around each item, and pack the items in cartons or containers.
Package the product in the form in which it will be sent out, for example, filling bags with flour from a chute or spout.
Stock and sort product for packaging or filling machine operation, and replenish packaging supplies, such as wrapping paper, plastic sheet, boxes, cartons, glue, ink, or labels.
Count and record finished and rejected packaged items.
Clean packaging containers, line and pad crates, or assemble cartons to prepare for product packing.
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.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $33,332
25th percentile: $36,776
50th percentile: $43,169
75th percentile: $49,045
90th percentile: $60,013

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $43,169 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+8.3%faster than average

2025384,200 jobs

2035 projected416,136 jobs

31,936 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: 97%
Associate degree: 2.2%
Certificate: 0.8%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Packaging And Labeling
Good Manufacturing Practices
Lifting Ability
Machinery
Forklift Truck
General Mathematics
Warehousing
Sanitation
Food Safety And Sanitation
Standard Operating Procedure
Housekeeping
Palletizing
Personal Protective Equipment
Machine Operation
Mechanical Aptitude
Loading And Unloading
Continuous Improvement Process
Production Line
Safety Procedures
Safety Standards

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.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
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.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Repairing: Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Packaging Operators2,976 postings
02Packaging Technicians1,733 postings
03Operators1,014 postings
04Packaging Machine Operators989 postings
05Filling Operators770 postings
06Packagers366 postings
07Baler Operators162 postings
08Packaging Leads157 postings
09Cylinder Fillers136 postings
10Aseptic Technicians133 postings
11Equipment Operators131 postings
12Palletizer Operators124 postings
13Drive Thru Operators116 postings
14Cleanroom Technicians112 postings
15Filling Technicians110 postings
16Packing Operators109 postings
17Technicians109 postings
18Fillers107 postings
19Blending Operators104 postings
20Washroom Operators102 postings

Top employers

01Aerotek788 postings
02Dairy Farmers of America280 postings
03ManpowerGroup280 postings
04Vestis251 postings
05Kelly Services196 postings
06Saputo Cheese USA159 postings
07Adecco157 postings
08Aramark107 postings
09Actalent106 postings
10Nestlé105 postings
11Campbell Soup99 postings
12Amcor97 postings
13Leprino Foods Company97 postings
14Linde96 postings
15Thermo Fisher Scientific90 postings
16Chobani83 postings
17QPS Employment Group74 postings
18Airgas73 postings
19ALPLA68 postings
20Express Employment Professionals65 postings

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