Occupations · Production
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
Operate or tend machines to prepare industrial or consumer products for storage or shipment. Includes cannery workers who pack food products.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 51-9111.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 88% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $42,110 | 21,500 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $38,810 | 15,570 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $39,850 | 14,870 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $38,390 | 6,980 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $40,840 | 5,680 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $42,530 | 5,610 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $42,580 | 4,870 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $41,970 | 4,790 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $44,780 | 4,530 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $35,490 | 4,120 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | $44,350 | 4,060 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $40,150 | 3,970 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- Stop or reset machines when malfunctions occur, clear machine jams, and report malfunctions to a supervisor.
- 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.
- Monitor the production line, watching for problems such as pile-ups, jams, or glue that isn't sticking properly.
- Inspect and remove defective products and packaging material.
- Tend or operate machine that packages product.
- Start machine by engaging controls.
- Clean, oil, and make minor adjustments or repairs to machinery and equipment, such as opening valves or setting guides.
- Regulate machine flow, speed, or temperature.
- Adjust machine components and machine tension and pressure according to size or processing angle of product.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2017-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2017-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 2
No longer listed 3
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| capsule filling machine operator | 8131.1 | close |
| food production operator | 8160.34 | close |
| sauce production operator | 8160.49 | close |
| heat sealing machine operator | 8183.5 | close |
| packaging and filling machine operator | 8183.7 | broader |
| canning and bottling line operator | 8183.1 | broader |
| leather goods packing operator | 8183.6 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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