Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders Salary: $46,784 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 383,860 packaging and filling machine operators and tenders nationally earn a mean of $46,784. Employment in the series shown rose about 6% from the first to the last year; much hiring sits in manufacturing.
Key Statistics
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders: what the data shows
Common questions about packaging and filling machine operators and tenders careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a packaging and filling machine operators and tenders?
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-9111.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 383,860 workers.
What does a packaging and filling machine operators and tenders do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Handling and Moving Objects, Getting Information, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a packaging and filling machine operators and tenders make?
BLS national median annual wage: $40,900 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $46,784 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,278 |
| 25th percentile | $38,423 |
| Median (50th) | $44,804 |
| 75th percentile | $50,314 |
| 90th percentile | $62,041 |
What education do you need?
For Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Operation and Control, Coordination, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, Mechanical, Public Safety and Security, Education and Training. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is packaging and filling machine operators and tenders in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.0% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 0.1%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 0.2%.
Current U.S. headcount: 383,860.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do packaging and filling machine operators and tenderss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 383,860 | 19.8% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 383,770 | 19.8% |
| Manufacturing | 302,120 | 15.6% |
| Food Manufacturing | 162,680 | 8.4% |
| Chemical Manufacturing | 61,570 | 3.2% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 37,940 | 2.0% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders workforce.
Employment Over Time
383,860 Workforce in 2023
The Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$46,784 Average Wage
In 2023, Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders earned an average of $46,784.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
Salary distribution for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
Employment Growth Projections
0.0% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
179,714 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 0.1%
179,908 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 0.2%
This occupation is projected to grow at 0.0% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
Wage Trends by Industry
6.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 45,330 employees, $45,600 avg wage
- IL: 29,460 employees, $44,250 avg wage
- TX: 19,750 employees, $40,390 avg wage
- PA: 18,940 employees, $45,310 avg wage
- OH: 18,870 employees, $43,960 avg wage
- NY: 17,530 employees, $43,300 avg wage
- WI: 16,500 employees, $44,480 avg wage
- FL: 16,190 employees, $40,110 avg wage
- MI: 15,750 employees, $41,420 avg wage
- NC: 13,460 employees, $43,800 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 21,500 employees, $44,930 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 15,570 employees, $43,160 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 14,870 employees, $43,220 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 6,980 employees, $41,200 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 5,680 employees, $44,510 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 5,610 employees, $45,390 avg wage
- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN: 4,870 employees, $44,560 avg wage
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 4,790 employees, $43,970 avg wage
- St. Louis, MO-IL: 4,530 employees, $45,540 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 4,120 employees, $37,630 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
Diversity
Demographic information on Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders in 2023 was 383,860 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders workers.
Education level distribution for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
Skills
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Operation and Control, Coordination, Active Listening.
Required skills for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders include Production and Processing, Mechanical, Public Safety and Security, Education and Training, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Oral Expression, Perceptual Speed, Near Vision, Problem Sensitivity.
Required abilities for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
Daily Activities
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders spend their time on activities such as Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Handling and Moving Objects, Getting Information.
Most important work activities for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
About
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
The average yearly wage for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders was $46,784 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-9111 - Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders reports an average salary of $46,784.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 383,860 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 0.0%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.