Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders
Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders (SOC 51-9191) earn a median $46,460 a year ($22.34 an hour) in the United States, with 11,500 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Utah.
What adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders do
Adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders use machines that apply glue, cement, or other adhesives to join materials, either as a step toward further processing or to complete a product. Examples include joining veneer sheets into plywood, gluing paper, and joining rubber, plastic, or simulated leather parts. The operator fills the machine with adhesive and aligns and positions the materials so that adhesive or heat sealing is applied accurately. Adjusting machine components to the width, length, and thickness of the materials and the amount of adhesive needed is a major part of setup. They start the machine, turn valves or move controls to feed material and adjust temperature, pressure, and speed, and run a test production run to make sure that completed products meet standards. During operation, they monitor for malfunctions and report or resolve them. Completed items are examined and measured with tape measures, gauges, or calipers. Shoe machine operators are excluded and counted separately.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, a high school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education reported by workers in this occupation.
Also called: Adhesive Laminator, Automatic Gluing Machine Operator, Automobile Brake Bonder, Band Builder, Band Edger.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $15.12 | $17.90 | $22.34 | $25.77 | $29.24 | $22.53 | 11,500 |
| Annual | $31,460 | $37,220 | $46,460 | $53,610 | $60,810 | $46,850 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Utah | Hourly | $19.13 | $20.00 | $31.49 | $31.49 | $32.90 | $27.34 | 100 | 0.06 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $39,780 | $41,600 | $65,500 | $65,500 | $68,430 | $56,870 | ||||
| Oklahoma | Hourly | $19.49 | $22.86 | $28.84 | $29.24 | $29.24 | $26.35 | 390 | 0.23 | 3.10 |
| Annual | $40,540 | $47,560 | $59,980 | $60,810 | $60,810 | $54,820 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $23.63 | $24.70 | $28.45 | $28.45 | $36.55 | $27.86 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $49,160 | $51,380 | $59,170 | $59,180 | $76,030 | $57,960 | ||||
| Idaho | Hourly | $17.89 | $17.95 | $27.73 | $27.73 | $27.97 | $24.15 | 140 | 0.17 | 2.23 |
| Annual | $37,210 | $37,340 | $57,670 | $57,670 | $58,170 | $50,240 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $20.47 | $23.48 | $27.20 | $50.01 | $50.01 | $35.53 | 320 | 0.09 | 1.21 |
| Annual | $42,570 | $48,830 | $56,580 | $104,010 | $104,010 | $73,900 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $13.08 | $14.31 | $16.74 | $20.25 | $24.06 | $17.67 | 1,590 | 0.32 | 4.35 |
| Annual | $27,210 | $29,770 | $34,830 | $42,120 | $50,040 | $36,750 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $17.35 | $19.10 | $23.75 | $27.15 | $28.52 | $23.19 | 940 | 0.17 | 2.29 |
| Annual | $36,080 | $39,730 | $49,390 | $56,480 | $59,320 | $48,230 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $18.18 | $21.19 | $24.06 | $26.08 | $28.13 | $23.44 | 900 | 0.46 | 6.20 |
| Annual | $37,810 | $44,080 | $50,050 | $54,250 | $58,500 | $48,760 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $14.22 | $18.00 | $23.29 | $30.80 | $40.79 | $25.30 | 790 | 0.06 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $29,570 | $37,440 | $48,450 | $64,070 | $84,850 | $52,620 | ||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $17.31 | $17.92 | $19.41 | $22.98 | $26.38 | $20.65 | 690 | 0.22 | 2.91 |
| Annual | $36,000 | $37,260 | $40,380 | $47,800 | $54,870 | $42,960 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $20.97 | $23.48 | $48.48 | $50.01 | $50.01 | $38.35 | 250 | 0.12 | 1.64 |
| Annual | $43,620 | $48,830 | $100,830 | $104,010 | $104,010 | $79,780 | ||||
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | Hourly | $19.82 | $22.35 | $29.52 | $29.52 | $30.20 | $26.03 | 60 | 0.18 | 2.42 |
| Annual | $41,230 | $46,480 | $61,400 | $61,400 | $62,820 | $54,140 | ||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | Hourly | $22.62 | $23.89 | $28.99 | $30.10 | $30.93 | $27.16 | 100 | 0.05 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $47,040 | $49,680 | $60,290 | $62,610 | $64,330 | $56,480 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $18.08 | $20.64 | $27.60 | $28.51 | $37.24 | $26.29 | 90 | 0.03 | 0.42 |
| Annual | $37,610 | $42,930 | $57,400 | $59,290 | $77,470 | $54,670 | ||||
| Gettysburg, PA | Hourly | $20.30 | $26.83 | $27.04 | $27.04 | $27.04 | $26.04 | 50 | 1.45 | 19.56 |
| Annual | $42,230 | $55,800 | $56,240 | $56,240 | $56,240 | $54,160 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $17.41 | $20.31 | $24.78 | $35.68 | $40.79 | $27.54 | 460 | 0.11 | 1.53 |
| Annual | $36,210 | $42,250 | $51,540 | $74,200 | $84,850 | $57,290 | ||||
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | Hourly | $14.31 | $14.36 | $16.28 | $18.28 | $20.26 | $16.79 | 390 | 2.53 | 34.20 |
| Annual | $29,770 | $29,870 | $33,870 | $38,020 | $42,140 | $34,930 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.09 | $17.66 | $19.13 | $28.10 | $30.57 | $22.23 | 350 | 0.06 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $35,560 | $36,730 | $39,780 | $58,460 | $63,580 | $46,240 | ||||
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | Hourly | $15.49 | $18.39 | $23.64 | $24.17 | $25.36 | $21.64 | 300 | 1.90 | 25.72 |
| Annual | $32,210 | $38,250 | $49,180 | $50,260 | $52,740 | $45,000 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $20.97 | $23.48 | $48.48 | $50.01 | $50.01 | $38.35 | 250 | 0.12 | 1.64 |
| Annual | $43,620 | $48,830 | $100,830 | $104,010 | $104,010 | $79,780 | ||||
Top industries employing adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders
Converted Paper Product Manufacturing employ 26.8% of adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders nationally (3,080 jobs) at a median $50,590 a year ($24.32 an hour), followed by Plastics Product Manufacturing (13.2%) and Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing (12.4%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Converted Paper Product Manufacturing NAICS 322200 | 3,080 | 26.8% | $50,590 | $24.32 |
| Plastics Product Manufacturing NAICS 326100 | 1,520 | 13.2% | $35,270 | $16.96 |
| Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing NAICS 321200 | 1,430 | 12.4% | $48,940 | $23.53 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing NAICS 336400 | 950 | 8.3% | $60,810 | $29.24 |
| Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) NAICS 3370A1 | 640 | 5.6% | $39,840 | $19.15 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (11,500). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $37,630 for adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders in May 2021 and $46,460 in May 2025, with employment of 12,510 and 11,500.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $37,630 | $18.09 | 12,510 |
| May 2022 | $38,780 | $18.65 | 11,320 |
| May 2023 | $43,540 | $20.93 | 12,510 |
| May 2024 | $45,210 | $21.74 | 12,170 |
| May 2025 | $46,460 | $22.34 | 11,500 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
37 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah profile | $31.49 | $65,500 | $39,780 | $68,430 | 100 | 0.06 | 0.77 |
| 2 | Oklahoma profile | $28.84 | $59,980 | $40,540 | $60,810 | 390 | 0.23 | 3.10 |
| 3 | New Jersey profile | $28.45 | $59,170 | $49,160 | $76,030 | ** | ** | ** |
| 4 | Idaho profile | $27.73 | $57,670 | $37,210 | $58,170 | 140 | 0.17 | 2.23 |
| 5 | Washington profile | $27.20 | $56,580 | $42,570 | $104,010 | 320 | 0.09 | 1.21 |
| 6 | Minnesota profile | $27.18 | $56,540 | $45,200 | $64,330 | 120 | 0.04 | 0.55 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania profile | $25.63 | $53,320 | $42,930 | $56,720 | 500 | 0.08 | 1.12 |
| 8 | Kentucky profile | $25.07 | $52,140 | $37,110 | $60,490 | 110 | 0.06 | 0.74 |
| 9 | Wisconsin profile | $24.18 | $50,290 | $42,350 | $59,120 | 350 | 0.12 | 1.60 |
| 10 | Oregon profile | $24.06 | $50,050 | $37,810 | $58,500 | 900 | 0.46 | 6.20 |
| 11 | Colorado profile | $24.00 | $49,920 | $41,600 | $63,270 | 130 | 0.05 | 0.62 |
| 12 | Arkansas profile | $23.93 | $49,770 | $38,820 | $62,700 | 310 | 0.24 | 3.24 |
| 13 | Ohio profile | $23.75 | $49,390 | $36,080 | $59,320 | 940 | 0.17 | 2.29 |
| 14 | Connecticut profile | $23.69 | $49,280 | $36,240 | $65,260 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.36 |
| 15 | Iowa profile | $23.67 | $49,220 | $40,700 | $65,150 | 170 | 0.11 | 1.47 |
| 16 | Texas profile | $23.29 | $48,450 | $29,570 | $84,850 | 790 | 0.06 | 0.76 |
| 17 | Kansas profile | $22.83 | $47,490 | $39,220 | $62,410 | 110 | 0.07 | 0.99 |
| 18 | Virginia profile | $22.72 | $47,250 | $35,740 | $55,240 | 320 | 0.08 | 1.04 |
| 19 | South Carolina profile | $22.60 | $47,000 | $36,490 | $61,310 | 130 | 0.06 | 0.77 |
| 20 | Georgia profile | $22.28 | $46,350 | $37,060 | $48,840 | 350 | 0.07 | 0.96 |
| 21 | Michigan profile | $21.86 | $45,470 | $39,040 | $59,340 | 210 | 0.05 | 0.65 |
| 22 | Nevada profile | $21.79 | $45,320 | $39,190 | $51,320 | 60 | 0.04 | 0.53 |
| 23 | Maine profile | $21.14 | $43,960 | $38,030 | $56,900 | 50 | 0.07 | 0.96 |
| 24 | Nebraska profile | $20.79 | $43,230 | $34,000 | $56,630 | 50 | 0.05 | 0.67 |
| 25 | Tennessee profile | $20.59 | $42,830 | $31,320 | $51,110 | 260 | 0.08 | 1.09 |
| 26 | New York profile | $20.26 | $42,130 | $36,230 | $55,840 | 400 | 0.04 | 0.56 |
| 27 | Arizona profile | $20.00 | $41,600 | $36,730 | $47,160 | 90 | 0.03 | 0.37 |
| 28 | California profile | $19.44 | $40,440 | $35,430 | $63,070 | 580 | 0.03 | 0.43 |
| 29 | Indiana profile | $19.41 | $40,380 | $36,000 | $54,870 | 690 | 0.22 | 2.91 |
| 30 | Massachusetts profile | $18.87 | $39,250 | $36,450 | $49,120 | 130 | 0.04 | 0.48 |
| 31 | Missouri profile | $18.43 | $38,340 | $30,540 | $63,010 | 190 | 0.06 | 0.85 |
| 32 | Alabama profile | $18.17 | $37,790 | $28,150 | $48,940 | 130 | 0.06 | 0.84 |
| 33 | North Carolina profile | $16.74 | $34,830 | $27,210 | $50,040 | 1,590 | 0.32 | 4.35 |
| 34 | Florida profile | $16.66 | $34,650 | $27,830 | $53,250 | 120 | 0.01 | 0.16 |
| 35 | Maryland profile | $16.12 | $33,540 | $31,240 | $54,540 | 40 | 0.02 | 0.21 |
| 36 | Mississippi profile | $15.02 | $31,250 | $28,590 | $38,290 | 430 | 0.37 | 4.94 |
| – | South Dakota profile | * | * | * | * | 60 | 0.12 | 1.63 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (51-9190), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Production Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 51-9191 Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 51-9191, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-9191.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.