Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (SOC 51-9196) earn a median $50,270 a year ($24.17 an hour) in the United States, with 96,130 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Oklahoma.
What paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders do
Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders run the converting machines that turn paper and paperboard sheets into products. Their operations include forming, sealing, stitching, wrapping, boxing, and banding, along with converting, sawing, and corrugating. At setup the operator adjusts the machine to the product and starts it, moving controls to regulate the tension on pressure rolls, the speed of components so they stay in step, and glue temperature. During production they watch for problems such as improper forming, uneven glue flow, or incorrect pasteboard tension. Completed pieces are examined for defects and checked against the work order, and the machinery is corrected as needed. When parts are broken or worn, the operator takes the machine apart and repairs or replaces them using hand or power tools. Printing press operators, who apply ink to the sheets, belong to a different occupation.
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: Bag Machine Operator, Bag Machine Tender, Bag Maker, Bag Presser, Bag Valver.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.93 | $21.60 | $24.17 | $28.93 | $33.81 | $25.40 | 96,130 |
| Annual | $37,300 | $44,920 | $50,270 | $60,180 | $70,320 | $52,840 | ||
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 paper goods machine setters, 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 | ||||||
| Oklahoma | Hourly | $18.98 | $23.54 | $30.60 | $32.90 | $38.18 | $28.11 | 1,390 | 0.81 | 1.31 |
| Annual | $39,480 | $48,950 | $63,640 | $68,420 | $79,410 | $58,480 | ||||
| Maine | Hourly | $22.74 | $24.26 | $29.70 | $31.20 | $40.07 | $29.22 | 740 | 1.16 | 1.88 |
| Annual | $47,310 | $50,450 | $61,780 | $64,890 | $83,340 | $60,780 | ||||
| Utah | Hourly | $22.06 | $23.82 | $29.23 | $29.75 | $35.23 | $28.00 | 1,350 | 0.78 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $45,880 | $49,550 | $60,790 | $61,880 | $73,270 | $58,230 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $21.46 | $24.02 | $28.56 | $31.08 | $35.77 | $28.35 | 2,170 | 0.61 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $44,640 | $49,960 | $59,410 | $64,650 | $74,410 | $58,970 | ||||
| Louisiana | Hourly | $21.39 | $23.81 | $28.00 | $36.45 | $38.33 | $29.37 | 1,150 | 0.60 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $44,480 | $49,530 | $58,230 | $75,820 | $79,730 | $61,080 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Wisconsin | Hourly | $21.99 | $23.00 | $27.91 | $29.93 | $33.77 | $27.13 | 8,510 | 2.89 | 4.68 |
| Annual | $45,740 | $47,840 | $58,050 | $62,260 | $70,240 | $56,430 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $18.22 | $21.82 | $24.89 | $29.43 | $33.65 | $25.59 | 7,410 | 1.22 | 1.98 |
| Annual | $37,910 | $45,390 | $51,780 | $61,200 | $70,000 | $53,220 | ||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $16.89 | $21.57 | $24.12 | $28.85 | $36.49 | $25.05 | 5,650 | 1.16 | 1.87 |
| Annual | $35,140 | $44,870 | $50,160 | $60,010 | $75,900 | $52,110 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $18.01 | $19.67 | $23.43 | $28.56 | $31.35 | $24.81 | 5,570 | 0.31 | 0.49 |
| Annual | $37,450 | $40,910 | $48,730 | $59,390 | $65,210 | $51,600 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $19.15 | $22.74 | $27.11 | $28.79 | $30.20 | $25.98 | 5,360 | 0.88 | 1.42 |
| Annual | $39,830 | $47,300 | $56,400 | $59,890 | $62,810 | $54,030 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Cedar Rapids, IA | Hourly | $18.71 | $25.05 | $40.13 | $40.14 | $48.29 | $34.06 | 260 | 1.85 | 2.99 |
| Annual | $38,920 | $52,110 | $83,470 | $83,480 | $100,430 | $70,830 | ||||
| Pittsfield, MA | Hourly | $25.91 | $29.00 | $31.34 | $31.34 | $36.99 | $29.98 | 190 | 3.31 | 5.36 |
| Annual | $53,890 | $60,320 | $65,190 | $65,190 | $76,930 | $62,350 | ||||
| Terre Haute, IN | Hourly | $16.98 | $22.15 | $31.31 | $37.93 | $37.93 | $29.51 | 40 | 0.68 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $35,320 | $46,070 | $65,110 | $78,890 | $78,890 | $61,390 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $23.25 | $23.73 | $30.78 | $31.57 | $31.57 | $28.68 | 460 | 0.22 | 0.35 |
| Annual | $48,370 | $49,350 | $64,020 | $65,660 | $65,660 | $59,650 | ||||
| Albany, OR | Hourly | $22.88 | $27.31 | $30.67 | $35.98 | $47.39 | $32.13 | 80 | 1.65 | 2.67 |
| Annual | $47,590 | $56,810 | $63,800 | $74,830 | $98,580 | $66,820 | ||||
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 | $19.14 | $22.78 | $28.38 | $28.82 | $30.45 | $26.22 | 4,320 | 0.96 | 1.55 |
| Annual | $39,800 | $47,380 | $59,020 | $59,950 | $63,330 | $54,540 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $17.20 | $18.00 | $22.31 | $29.21 | $31.63 | $23.62 | 2,940 | 0.31 | 0.50 |
| Annual | $35,780 | $37,440 | $46,410 | $60,750 | $65,790 | $49,120 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.84 | $21.30 | $23.52 | $28.51 | $30.00 | $24.76 | 2,060 | 0.33 | 0.53 |
| Annual | $37,120 | $44,300 | $48,930 | $59,300 | $62,400 | $51,490 | ||||
| Green Bay, WI | Hourly | $22.41 | $23.19 | $28.48 | $30.42 | $37.38 | $28.17 | 1,740 | 9.99 | 16.16 |
| Annual | $46,610 | $48,230 | $59,230 | $63,280 | $77,740 | $58,590 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.47 | $23.15 | $24.61 | $27.82 | $22.53 | 1,690 | 0.59 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $38,420 | $48,150 | $51,190 | $57,860 | $46,860 | ||||
Top industries employing paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders
Converted Paper Product Manufacturing employ 68.3% of paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders nationally (65,660 jobs) at a median $49,230 a year ($23.67 an hour), followed by Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills (22.2%) and Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) (2.7%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Converted Paper Product Manufacturing NAICS 322200 | 65,660 | 68.3% | $49,230 | $23.67 |
| Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills NAICS 322100 | 21,380 | 22.2% | $62,260 | $29.93 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) NAICS 4240A3 | 2,570 | 2.7% | $41,430 | $19.92 |
| Printing and Related Support Activities NAICS 323100 | 2,060 | 2.1% | $45,640 | $21.94 |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 1,650 | 1.7% | $35,380 | $17.01 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (96,130). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $44,820 for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in May 2021 and $50,270 in May 2025, with employment of 87,480 and 96,130.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $44,820 | $21.55 | 87,480 |
| May 2022 | $45,710 | $21.97 | 92,050 |
| May 2023 | $47,250 | $22.71 | 96,460 |
| May 2024 | $49,390 | $23.75 | 96,950 |
| May 2025 | $50,270 | $24.17 | 96,130 |
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
43 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 | Oklahoma profile | $30.60 | $63,640 | $39,480 | $79,410 | 1,390 | 0.81 | 1.31 |
| 2 | Maine profile | $29.70 | $61,780 | $47,310 | $83,340 | 740 | 1.16 | 1.88 |
| 3 | Utah profile | $29.23 | $60,790 | $45,880 | $73,270 | 1,350 | 0.78 | 1.25 |
| 4 | Washington profile | $28.56 | $59,410 | $44,640 | $74,410 | 2,170 | 0.61 | 0.99 |
| 5 | Louisiana profile | $28.00 | $58,230 | $44,480 | $79,730 | 1,150 | 0.60 | 0.96 |
| 6 | Minnesota profile | $27.96 | $58,150 | $40,250 | $74,310 | 1,960 | 0.67 | 1.08 |
| 7 | Kentucky profile | $27.91 | $58,050 | $46,450 | $76,610 | 2,670 | 1.33 | 2.16 |
| 8 | Wisconsin profile | $27.91 | $58,050 | $45,740 | $70,240 | 8,510 | 2.89 | 4.68 |
| 9 | Idaho profile | $27.86 | $57,950 | $50,930 | $89,760 | 480 | 0.56 | 0.90 |
| 10 | Oregon profile | $27.31 | $56,810 | $46,300 | $83,640 | 680 | 0.35 | 0.56 |
| 11 | Illinois profile | $27.11 | $56,400 | $39,830 | $62,810 | 5,360 | 0.88 | 1.42 |
| 12 | New Mexico profile | $25.93 | $53,930 | $34,080 | $72,340 | 100 | 0.11 | 0.18 |
| 13 | New York profile | $25.39 | $52,800 | $35,830 | $68,510 | 3,280 | 0.34 | 0.55 |
| 14 | Alabama profile | $25.14 | $52,290 | $36,670 | $79,660 | 3,800 | 1.80 | 2.91 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania profile | $24.89 | $51,780 | $37,910 | $70,000 | 7,410 | 1.22 | 1.98 |
| 16 | Michigan profile | $24.30 | $50,540 | $38,950 | $66,750 | 3,000 | 0.68 | 1.10 |
| 17 | New Hampshire profile | $24.13 | $50,200 | $39,630 | $68,890 | 230 | 0.34 | 0.54 |
| 18 | Georgia profile | $24.12 | $50,160 | $35,140 | $75,900 | 5,650 | 1.16 | 1.87 |
| 19 | South Carolina profile | $24.06 | $50,040 | $37,560 | $79,320 | 2,460 | 1.07 | 1.73 |
| 20 | Virginia profile | $23.99 | $49,900 | $36,950 | $78,210 | 2,370 | 0.58 | 0.93 |
| 21 | Arizona profile | $23.63 | $49,160 | $37,300 | $58,270 | 1,190 | 0.37 | 0.59 |
| 22 | Colorado profile | $23.53 | $48,940 | $39,090 | $66,860 | 240 | 0.08 | 0.13 |
| 23 | Florida profile | $23.51 | $48,910 | $37,390 | $74,990 | 1,360 | 0.14 | 0.22 |
| 24 | Massachusetts profile | $23.48 | $48,840 | $38,600 | $65,220 | 1,920 | 0.53 | 0.85 |
| 25 | Indiana profile | $23.45 | $48,780 | $36,070 | $60,800 | 2,580 | 0.81 | 1.31 |
| 26 | California profile | $23.43 | $48,730 | $37,450 | $65,210 | 5,570 | 0.31 | 0.49 |
| 27 | Rhode Island profile | $23.42 | $48,710 | $35,590 | $51,890 | 240 | 0.48 | 0.77 |
| 28 | Arkansas profile | $23.38 | $48,630 | $35,870 | $61,770 | 2,060 | 1.58 | 2.55 |
| 29 | Connecticut profile | $23.33 | $48,530 | $38,500 | $72,900 | 650 | 0.39 | 0.62 |
| 30 | Delaware profile | $23.13 | $48,110 | $35,480 | $62,130 | 160 | 0.34 | 0.55 |
| 31 | Nebraska profile | $23.07 | $47,980 | $37,070 | $55,600 | 300 | 0.30 | 0.48 |
| 32 | North Carolina profile | $23.05 | $47,940 | $35,480 | $63,410 | 4,800 | 0.97 | 1.57 |
| 33 | Texas profile | $23.00 | $47,830 | $36,490 | $66,200 | 3,740 | 0.27 | 0.43 |
| 34 | Maryland profile | $22.97 | $47,780 | $34,980 | $60,090 | 480 | 0.18 | 0.28 |
| 35 | Nevada profile | $22.97 | $47,780 | $39,690 | $63,350 | 380 | 0.25 | 0.40 |
| 36 | Missouri profile | $22.87 | $47,560 | $37,370 | $59,400 | 1,540 | 0.53 | 0.85 |
| 37 | Ohio profile | $22.81 | $47,450 | $38,570 | $60,680 | 4,640 | 0.84 | 1.35 |
| 38 | Mississippi profile | $22.78 | $47,380 | $33,800 | $80,770 | 960 | 0.82 | 1.33 |
| 39 | Tennessee profile | $22.56 | $46,920 | $31,550 | $60,170 | 3,490 | 1.07 | 1.72 |
| 40 | South Dakota profile | $22.55 | $46,910 | $36,270 | $57,310 | 130 | 0.28 | 0.45 |
| 41 | Iowa profile | $22.17 | $46,110 | $37,420 | $83,480 | 1,010 | 0.65 | 1.04 |
| 42 | New Jersey profile | $22.09 | $45,950 | $35,330 | $62,920 | 3,210 | 0.75 | 1.21 |
| 43 | Kansas profile | $22.04 | $45,840 | $35,920 | $55,360 | 420 | 0.29 | 0.47 |
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 51-9196 Paper Goods Machine Setters, 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 51-9196, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-9196.00, 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.