🍞
Food Manufacturing
General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Conagra Brands
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
This job keeps packaging and filling machines running: setting the controls, feeding materials, checking output, and clearing problems before they slow the line down. The work is hands-on and procedural, but the tradeoff is that you are tied to machine pace and spend a lot of time watching for jams, defects, and stoppages.
Also known as Packaging Machine OperatorFilling Machine OperatorPackaging Line OperatorFilling Line OperatorPackaging and Filling Operator
Median Salary
$40,900
Mean $43,630
U.S. Workforce
~384K
45.3K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+4.5%
381.2K to 398.2K
Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders sits in the Manufacturing category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~384K workers, with a median annual pay of $40,900 and roughly 45.3K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 381.2 K in 2024 to 398.2K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with High school diploma or equivalent, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Production Helper and can progress toward Production Supervisor. High-value skills usually include Operations Monitoring, Production Line Monitoring, and Operation and Control, paired with soft skills such as Attention to detail, Active listening, and Coordination.
Core Responsibilities
- Set up the machine for the product being run by adjusting speed, pressure, and other control settings.
- Start the line and keep an eye on it for jams, backups, or sealing problems.
- Check packages and filled products as they come off the line and remove anything damaged or off-spec.
- Prepare cartons, crates, trays, or other containers so they are ready for packing.
Keep exploring: more Manufacturing careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Set up the machine for the product being run by adjusting speed, pressure, and other control settings.
02 Start the line and keep an eye on it for jams, backups, or sealing problems.
03 Check packages and filled products as they come off the line and remove anything damaged or off-spec.
04 Prepare cartons, crates, trays, or other containers so they are ready for packing.
05 Clean, lubricate, and make small fixes or adjustments to keep equipment running smoothly.
06 Work with supervisors and coworkers when the line needs to be slowed, restarted, or changed over to a new product.
Industries That Hire
🥤
Beverage Bottling
Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Keurig Dr Pepper
💊
Pharmaceuticals
Pfizer, Merck, Johnson & Johnson
🧴
Consumer Packaged Goods
Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Colgate-Palmolive
📦
Paper, Plastics, and Packaging
International Paper, Berry Global, Sealed Air
Pros and Cons
Advantages
+
You can enter the field with a high school diploma and employer training, which is a much shorter path than most skilled trades.
+
The job market is large, with 383,860 current workers and about 45.3K annual openings, so hiring tends to be steady.
+
The work is concrete and easy to judge: when the line runs smoothly and defects stay low, you know exactly what good performance looks like.
+
You can move between industries without changing careers, since the same basic machine work shows up in food, drinks, pharmaceuticals, and household goods.
+
Pay is modest but dependable for a role with no experience required, with mean annual pay at $43.6K and median pay at $40.9K.
Challenges
-
The pay ceiling is limited, and even the median salary of $40.9K is modest for work that is physical and repetitive.
-
Growth is only 4.5% through 2034, so this is not a fast-expanding field and advancement depends more on openings than on big industry growth.
-
Automation is a real structural risk: faster packaging lines and smarter equipment can reduce the number of hands needed on each shift.
-
The job can wear you down physically because it usually means standing for long stretches, handling materials, and reacting quickly to jams or spills.
-
Most career growth is a short ladder into lead or supervisor roles, so there is a fairly narrow ceiling if you want to stay close to the machines.
Career Progression
Production Helper
0-1 years
$30K-$36K
Stocks supplies, moves materials, and learns the line while working under close supervision.
Packaging and Filling Machine Operator
1-4 years
$37K-$46K
Runs the packaging or filling machine, makes routine adjustments, and checks products for defects; this tier includes the role median of $40.9K.
Lead Operator THIS ROLE
4-7 years
$47K-$57K
Handles more complex changeovers, troubleshoots recurring line problems, and helps train newer operators.
Production Supervisor
7+ years
$58K-$75K
Oversees multiple operators, tracks output and downtime, and keeps the shift moving to plan.
Education Paths
High school diploma or equivalent
The most common entry point, held by 79.69% of workers in this role.
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Most employers teach the machine-specific steps on site, so you usually learn the line through supervised practice rather than a long formal program.
Associate's degree or other 2-year degree
A smaller alternative path, held by 2.22% of workers in this role.
Post-secondary certificate
A niche route, held by 0.82% of workers in this role.
Key Skills
Technical
Operations Monitoring 65%
Production Line Monitoring 62%
Operation and Control 60%
Quality Control Analysis 58%
Equipment Maintenance and Minor Repairs 58%
Packaging Line Setup, Changeovers & HMI Controls 56%
Soft Skills
Attention to detailActive listeningCoordinationClear communicationProblem solvingCritical thinking Job Outlook and Trends
+4.5%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
45.3K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 381.2K to 398.2 K over the next decade, representing 4.5% growth. Around 45.3 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.