Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders (SOC 51-9111) earn a median $43,220 a year ($20.78 an hour) in the United States, with 379,060 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New Hampshire.
What packaging and filling machine operators and tenders do
Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders run the machines that put products into containers and prepare them for storage or shipment. The SOC definition includes cannery workers who pack food products. The operator loads the machine with containers, product, and packaging materials, starts it, and watches the line for problems such as pile-ups, jams, or glue that is not sticking. Products are weighed, graded, and inspected, with fill levels adjusted to match specifications, and rejected items are separated from the finished packages. They stop or reset machines when they malfunction, clear jams, and report problems to a supervisor. Labels, lot numbers, and shipping information are applied to finished packages. Starting the machine by engaging its controls, and removing finished packages as they come off, are routine steps.
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: Ampoule Filler, Ampoule Sealer, Apple Press Operator, Assembly Line Worker, Assembly Person.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.06 | $17.72 | $20.78 | $23.59 | $28.86 | $21.44 | 379,060 |
| Annual | $33,390 | $36,850 | $43,220 | $49,070 | $60,030 | $44,590 | ||
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 packaging and filling 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 | ||||||
| New Hampshire | Hourly | $19.03 | $22.32 | $23.78 | $27.90 | $39.36 | $25.94 | 620 | 0.91 | 0.37 |
| Annual | $39,580 | $46,420 | $49,450 | $58,030 | $81,870 | $53,950 | ||||
| Wyoming | Hourly | $15.49 | $18.75 | $23.51 | $28.27 | $30.83 | $24.66 | 360 | 1.29 | 0.53 |
| Annual | $32,210 | $39,000 | $48,890 | $58,800 | $64,130 | $51,300 | ||||
| Missouri | Hourly | $17.40 | $20.31 | $23.11 | $27.41 | $29.47 | $23.92 | 12,620 | 4.30 | 1.76 |
| Annual | $36,180 | $42,250 | $48,070 | $57,020 | $61,310 | $49,750 | ||||
| Maine | Hourly | $17.58 | $18.80 | $23.06 | $28.19 | $28.25 | $23.29 | 1,490 | 2.33 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $36,560 | $39,100 | $47,970 | $58,630 | $58,750 | $48,440 | ||||
| North Dakota | Hourly | $18.61 | $21.14 | $22.78 | $24.61 | $28.18 | $23.32 | 760 | 1.78 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $38,710 | $43,980 | $47,390 | $51,190 | $58,620 | $48,500 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $17.19 | $18.12 | $21.16 | $23.70 | $29.70 | $22.14 | 43,430 | 2.38 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $35,750 | $37,690 | $44,020 | $49,300 | $61,780 | $46,050 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $16.77 | $18.07 | $20.75 | $23.09 | $28.87 | $21.51 | 29,400 | 4.82 | 1.98 |
| Annual | $34,880 | $37,590 | $43,150 | $48,030 | $60,050 | $44,740 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $13.94 | $16.29 | $18.73 | $22.29 | $27.49 | $19.94 | 22,970 | 1.63 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $28,990 | $33,880 | $38,950 | $46,350 | $57,190 | $41,480 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $15.28 | $17.91 | $21.39 | $24.15 | $29.83 | $21.81 | 19,340 | 3.19 | 1.31 |
| Annual | $31,780 | $37,250 | $44,480 | $50,230 | $62,050 | $45,360 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $16.44 | $17.46 | $18.91 | $22.95 | $28.62 | $20.96 | 18,150 | 1.87 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $34,200 | $36,310 | $39,330 | $47,730 | $59,540 | $43,590 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | Hourly | $19.59 | $21.77 | $38.37 | $38.37 | $38.37 | $30.71 | 670 | 3.95 | 1.62 |
| Annual | $40,750 | $45,270 | $79,800 | $79,800 | $79,800 | $63,880 | ||||
| Salisbury, MD | Hourly | $17.64 | $23.41 | $33.20 | $33.20 | $35.72 | $29.60 | 60 | 1.15 | 0.47 |
| Annual | $36,700 | $48,700 | $69,060 | $69,060 | $74,290 | $61,560 | ||||
| Cedar Rapids, IA | Hourly | $18.24 | $22.34 | $32.55 | $37.72 | $39.02 | $30.12 | 1,080 | 7.77 | 3.19 |
| Annual | $37,940 | $46,460 | $67,700 | $78,460 | $81,160 | $62,650 | ||||
| Tuscaloosa, AL | Hourly | $14.22 | $17.20 | $29.66 | $30.21 | $35.41 | $25.28 | 160 | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Annual | $29,570 | $35,780 | $61,680 | $62,830 | $73,650 | $52,580 | ||||
| Owensboro, KY | Hourly | $20.35 | $24.37 | $29.45 | $29.45 | $30.91 | $26.99 | 980 | 19.82 | 8.13 |
| Annual | $42,320 | $50,690 | $61,250 | $61,250 | $64,300 | $56,140 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $17.07 | $18.52 | $20.81 | $23.04 | $29.24 | $21.77 | 21,830 | 4.84 | 1.98 |
| Annual | $35,510 | $38,530 | $43,290 | $47,910 | $60,820 | $45,270 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.44 | $17.46 | $18.65 | $23.01 | $28.46 | $20.83 | 16,110 | 1.70 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $34,200 | $36,310 | $38,790 | $47,850 | $59,200 | $43,330 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.22 | $17.96 | $20.90 | $23.26 | $29.60 | $21.98 | 13,990 | 2.23 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $35,820 | $37,370 | $43,470 | $48,380 | $61,560 | $45,720 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $14.03 | $17.48 | $19.52 | $23.51 | $27.98 | $20.73 | 8,240 | 2.04 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $29,190 | $36,360 | $40,610 | $48,900 | $58,200 | $43,120 | ||||
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | Hourly | $17.03 | $17.79 | $20.41 | $23.89 | $29.24 | $21.49 | 6,100 | 2.57 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $35,420 | $36,990 | $42,450 | $49,700 | $60,810 | $44,710 | ||||
Top industries employing packaging and filling machine operators and tenders
Animal Slaughtering and Processing employ 9.8% of packaging and filling machine operators and tenders nationally (37,080 jobs) at a median $41,340 a year ($19.87 an hour), followed by Other Food Manufacturing (8.7%) and Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (8.4%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing NAICS 311600 | 37,080 | 9.8% | $41,340 | $19.87 |
| Other Food Manufacturing NAICS 311900 | 32,990 | 8.7% | $43,990 | $21.15 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing NAICS 325400 | 31,840 | 8.4% | $42,850 | $20.60 |
| Dairy Product Manufacturing NAICS 311500 | 26,500 | 7.0% | $47,300 | $22.74 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing NAICS 311400 | 24,910 | 6.6% | $43,100 | $20.72 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (379,060). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $35,960 for packaging and filling machine operators and tenders in May 2021 and $43,220 in May 2025, with employment of 358,640 and 379,060.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $35,960 | $17.29 | 358,640 |
| May 2022 | $36,750 | $17.67 | 369,330 |
| May 2023 | $38,330 | $18.43 | 371,600 |
| May 2024 | $40,900 | $19.67 | 383,860 |
| May 2025 | $43,220 | $20.78 | 379,060 |
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
50 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 | New Hampshire profile | $23.78 | $49,450 | $39,580 | $81,870 | 620 | 0.91 | 0.37 |
| 2 | Wyoming profile | $23.51 | $48,890 | $32,210 | $64,130 | 360 | 1.29 | 0.53 |
| 3 | Missouri profile | $23.11 | $48,070 | $36,180 | $61,310 | 12,620 | 4.30 | 1.76 |
| 4 | Maine profile | $23.06 | $47,970 | $36,560 | $58,750 | 1,490 | 2.33 | 0.95 |
| 5 | North Dakota profile | $22.78 | $47,390 | $38,710 | $58,620 | 760 | 1.78 | 0.73 |
| 6 | Idaho profile | $22.46 | $46,720 | $35,250 | $60,330 | 3,950 | 4.61 | 1.89 |
| 7 | Vermont profile | $22.44 | $46,670 | $36,700 | $57,330 | 880 | 2.89 | 1.18 |
| 8 | West Virginia profile | $22.31 | $46,410 | $35,830 | $58,120 | 810 | 1.15 | 0.47 |
| 9 | Nebraska profile | $22.22 | $46,220 | $35,450 | $59,560 | 4,410 | 4.31 | 1.77 |
| 10 | Wisconsin profile | $22.22 | $46,220 | $35,760 | $57,490 | 16,150 | 5.49 | 2.25 |
| 11 | Colorado profile | $22.12 | $46,010 | $35,270 | $73,980 | 4,760 | 1.66 | 0.68 |
| 12 | Iowa profile | $21.95 | $45,660 | $37,040 | $63,230 | 6,990 | 4.49 | 1.84 |
| 13 | Kentucky profile | $21.85 | $45,450 | $35,250 | $61,250 | 8,640 | 4.32 | 1.77 |
| 14 | Oregon profile | $21.72 | $45,180 | $35,730 | $59,740 | 5,370 | 2.73 | 1.12 |
| 15 | Virginia profile | $21.61 | $44,950 | $31,880 | $63,420 | 6,150 | 1.50 | 0.61 |
| 16 | Kansas profile | $21.58 | $44,890 | $31,150 | $57,740 | 7,920 | 5.51 | 2.26 |
| 17 | Indiana profile | $21.44 | $44,600 | $33,330 | $59,070 | 12,880 | 4.03 | 1.65 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania profile | $21.39 | $44,480 | $31,780 | $62,050 | 19,340 | 3.19 | 1.31 |
| 19 | Montana profile | $21.32 | $44,350 | $29,760 | $60,220 | 380 | 0.75 | 0.31 |
| 20 | California profile | $21.16 | $44,020 | $35,750 | $61,780 | 43,430 | 2.38 | 0.98 |
| 21 | South Dakota profile | $21.09 | $43,860 | $33,440 | $47,850 | 1,000 | 2.19 | 0.90 |
| 22 | Utah profile | $21.05 | $43,780 | $35,040 | $60,030 | 6,350 | 3.66 | 1.50 |
| 23 | Maryland profile | $21.00 | $43,670 | $35,270 | $69,620 | 3,030 | 1.10 | 0.45 |
| 24 | Ohio profile | $20.82 | $43,310 | $33,780 | $61,180 | 17,850 | 3.22 | 1.32 |
| 25 | Tennessee profile | $20.77 | $43,190 | $33,050 | $62,810 | 7,400 | 2.26 | 0.93 |
| 26 | Illinois profile | $20.75 | $43,150 | $34,880 | $60,050 | 29,400 | 4.82 | 1.98 |
| 27 | Georgia profile | $20.64 | $42,920 | $30,020 | $62,150 | 11,380 | 2.33 | 0.95 |
| 28 | Washington profile | $20.05 | $41,700 | $36,310 | $57,250 | 8,450 | 2.38 | 0.98 |
| 29 | Michigan profile | $20.05 | $41,690 | $31,890 | $59,370 | 10,940 | 2.48 | 1.02 |
| 30 | North Carolina profile | $19.78 | $41,150 | $31,140 | $59,220 | 11,870 | 2.40 | 0.98 |
| 31 | Minnesota profile | $19.69 | $40,960 | $36,280 | $55,420 | 7,340 | 2.49 | 1.02 |
| 32 | Arizona profile | $19.50 | $40,560 | $35,360 | $60,770 | 7,090 | 2.19 | 0.90 |
| 33 | Massachusetts profile | $19.40 | $40,360 | $33,550 | $55,470 | 5,020 | 1.38 | 0.57 |
| 34 | New Jersey profile | $19.37 | $40,280 | $32,230 | $59,800 | 9,810 | 2.29 | 0.94 |
| 35 | South Carolina profile | $19.24 | $40,010 | $32,880 | $51,080 | 4,890 | 2.12 | 0.87 |
| 36 | Connecticut profile | $18.97 | $39,460 | $35,060 | $61,150 | 1,540 | 0.91 | 0.37 |
| 37 | New York profile | $18.91 | $39,330 | $34,200 | $59,540 | 18,150 | 1.87 | 0.77 |
| 38 | Oklahoma profile | $18.90 | $39,310 | $31,180 | $48,710 | 3,150 | 1.84 | 0.76 |
| 39 | Texas profile | $18.73 | $38,950 | $28,990 | $57,190 | 22,970 | 1.63 | 0.67 |
| 40 | Alaska profile | $18.62 | $38,730 | $33,010 | $60,130 | 260 | 0.81 | 0.33 |
| 41 | Delaware profile | $18.51 | $38,500 | $36,800 | $51,710 | 680 | 1.41 | 0.58 |
| 42 | Louisiana profile | $18.45 | $38,370 | $25,370 | $55,640 | 1,910 | 0.99 | 0.41 |
| 43 | Rhode Island profile | $18.43 | $38,330 | $32,770 | $79,220 | 1,100 | 2.19 | 0.90 |
| 44 | Alabama profile | $18.18 | $37,820 | $28,210 | $54,770 | 3,240 | 1.53 | 0.63 |
| 45 | Arkansas profile | $18.15 | $37,740 | $31,170 | $49,270 | 4,630 | 3.55 | 1.46 |
| 46 | Mississippi profile | $18.14 | $37,720 | $27,320 | $46,960 | 3,030 | 2.60 | 1.07 |
| 47 | Nevada profile | $18.00 | $37,440 | $27,290 | $57,500 | 2,700 | 1.74 | 0.71 |
| 48 | Florida profile | $17.87 | $37,170 | $29,040 | $50,800 | 14,010 | 1.41 | 0.58 |
| 49 | Hawaii profile | $17.70 | $36,810 | $30,200 | $46,060 | 380 | 0.60 | 0.25 |
| 50 | New Mexico profile | $17.13 | $35,640 | $30,480 | $47,280 | 1,550 | 1.78 | 0.73 |
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 51-9111 Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.
- 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 51-9111, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-9111.00, 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.