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Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)	Projected Growth (2024-2034)
National Statistics	$42730	2400	0.6%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$42730

Median Wage (USD, 2024)

2400

Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)

0.6%

Projected Growth (2024-2034)

Operate or tend food or tobacco roasting, baking, or drying equipment, including hearth ovens, kiln driers, roasters, char kilns, and vacuum drying equipment.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Related Work Experience: N.A.

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months

On-the-Job Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months

Detailed Work Activities

Inspect food products.
Evaluate quality of food ingredients or prepared foods.
Monitor instruments to ensure proper production conditions.
Operate cooking, baking, or other food preparation equipment.
Adjust temperature controls of ovens or other heating equipment.
Operate pumping systems or equipment.
Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions.
Notify others of equipment repair or maintenance needs.
Record operational or production data.
Weigh finished products.
Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
Collect samples of materials or products for testing.
Remove products or workpieces from production equipment.
Adjust equipment controls to regulate flow of production materials or products.
Sterilize food cooking or processing equipment.
Clear equipment jams.
Move products, materials, or equipment between work areas.
Feed materials or products into or through equipment.
Position raw materials on processing or production equipment.
Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment.
Signal others to coordinate work activities.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

Observe, feel, taste, or otherwise examine products during and after processing to ensure conformance to standards.
Set temperature and time controls, light ovens, burners, driers, or roasters, and start equipment, such as conveyors, cylinders, blowers, driers, or pumps.
Observe temperature, humidity, pressure gauges, and product samples and adjust controls, such as thermostats and valves, to maintain prescribed operating conditions for specific stages.
Observe flow of materials and listen for machine malfunctions, such as jamming or spillage, and notify supervisors if corrective actions fail.
Record production data, such as weight and amount of product processed, type of product, and time and temperature of processing.
Weigh or measure products, using scale hoppers or scale conveyors.
Operate or tend equipment that roasts, bakes, dries, or cures food items such as cocoa and coffee beans, grains, nuts, and bakery products.
Signal coworkers to synchronize flow of materials.
Read work orders to determine quantities and types of products to be baked, dried, or roasted.
Fill or remove product from trays, carts, hoppers, or equipment, using scoops, peels, or shovels, or by hand.
Take product samples during or after processing for laboratory analyses.
Test products for moisture content, using moisture meters.
Clear or dislodge blockages in bins, screens, or other equipment, using poles, brushes, or mallets.
Start conveyors to move roasted grain to cooling pans and agitate grain with rakes as blowers force air through perforated bottoms of pans.
Open valves, gates, or chutes or use shovels to load or remove products from ovens or other equipment.
Clean equipment with steam, hot water, and hoses.
Smooth out products in bins, pans, trays, or conveyors, using rakes or shovels.
Install equipment, such as spray units, cutting blades, or screens, using hand tools.
Push racks or carts to transfer products to storage, cooling stations, or the next stage of processing.

Work Styles

Innovation

A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

Innovation

Achievement Orientation

Intellectual Curiosity

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Initiative

Adaptability

Self-Confidence

Perseverance

Leadership Orientation

Humility

Sincerity

Empathy

Cooperation

Optimism

Social Orientation

Cautiousness

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Integrity

Stress Tolerance

Self-Control

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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