Home / Career Explorer / Production

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)	Projected Growth (2024-2034)
National Statistics	$40900	45300	4.5%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$40900

Median Wage (USD, 2024)

45300

Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)

4.5%

Projected Growth (2024-2034)

Operate or tend machines to prepare industrial or consumer products for storage or shipment. Includes cannery workers who pack food products.

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: N.A.

On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month

Detailed Work Activities

Monitor equipment operation to ensure that products are not flawed.
Package products for storage or shipment.
Remove products or workpieces from production equipment.
Adjust temperature controls of ovens or other heating equipment.
Clear equipment jams.
Notify others of equipment repair or maintenance needs.
Sew clothing or other articles.
Sort materials or products for processing, storing, shipping, or grading.
Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products.
Clean materials to prepare them for production.
Weigh finished products.
Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
Clean production equipment.
Lubricate production equipment.
Repair production equipment or tools.
Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions.
Stack finished items for further processing or shipment.
Count finished products or workpieces.
Record operational or production data.
Feed materials or products into or through equipment.
Mark products, workpieces, or equipment with identifying information.
Prepare materials for processing.

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

Attach identification labels to finished packaged items, or cut stencils and stencil information on containers, such as lot numbers or shipping destinations.
Sort, grade, weigh, and inspect products, verifying and adjusting product weight or measurement to meet specifications.
Stop or reset machines when malfunctions occur, clear machine jams, and report malfunctions to a supervisor.
Observe machine operations to ensure quality and conformity of filled or packaged products to standards.
Remove finished packaged items from machine and separate rejected items.
Monitor the production line, watching for problems such as pile-ups, jams, or glue that isn't sticking properly.
Inspect and remove defective products and packaging material.
Start machine by engaging controls.
Tend or operate machine that packages product.
Clean, oil, and make minor adjustments or repairs to machinery and equipment, such as opening valves or setting guides.
Regulate machine flow, speed, or temperature.
Adjust machine components and machine tension and pressure according to size or processing angle of product.
Supply materials to spindles, conveyors, hoppers, or other feeding devices and unload packaged product.
Stack finished packaged items, or wrap protective material around each item, and pack the items in cartons or containers.
Package the product in the form in which it will be sent out, for example, filling bags with flour from a chute or spout.
Stock and sort product for packaging or filling machine operation, and replenish packaging supplies, such as wrapping paper, plastic sheet, boxes, cartons, glue, ink, or labels.
Count and record finished and rejected packaged items.
Clean packaging containers, line and pad crates, or assemble cartons to prepare for product packing.
Secure finished packaged items by hand tying, sewing, gluing, stapling, or attaching fastener.
Clean and remove damaged or otherwise inferior materials to prepare raw products for 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.

Session has been expired