SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Operate or tend machines to prepare industrial or consumer products for storage or shipment. Includes cannery workers who pack food products.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-9111.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $33,390 | $2,782 | $642 | $16.06 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $36,850 | $3,071 | $709 | $17.72 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $43,220 | $3,602 | $831 | $20.78 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $49,070 | $4,089 | $944 | $23.59 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $60,030 | $5,002 | $1,154 | $28.86 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders is $43,220, which is 15% lower. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 76 by median pay. With 379,060 jobs, it makes up about 24 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders pay by state
The highest median pay was in New Hampshire ($49,450), Wyoming ($48,890) and Missouri ($48,070). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($27,970), New Mexico ($35,640) and Hawaii ($36,810). The most jobs were in California (43,430), Illinois (29,400) and Texas (22,970). The occupation is most concentrated in Kansas, where its share of all jobs is 2.3 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 620 | $49,450 | $53,950 | $23.78 |
| Wyoming | 360 | $48,890 | $51,300 | $23.51 |
| Missouri | 12,620 | $48,070 | $49,750 | $23.11 |
| Maine | 1,490 | $47,970 | $48,440 | $23.06 |
| North Dakota | 760 | $47,390 | $48,500 | $22.78 |
| Idaho | 3,950 | $46,720 | $46,630 | $22.46 |
| Vermont | 880 | $46,670 | $45,650 | $22.44 |
| West Virginia | 810 | $46,410 | $46,280 | $22.31 |
| Nebraska | 4,410 | $46,220 | $46,080 | $22.22 |
| Wisconsin | 16,150 | $46,220 | $46,270 | $22.22 |
| Colorado | 4,760 | $46,010 | $48,180 | $22.12 |
| Iowa | 6,990 | $45,660 | $48,340 | $21.95 |
| Kentucky | 8,640 | $45,450 | $46,700 | $21.85 |
| Oregon | 5,370 | $45,180 | $46,340 | $21.72 |
| Virginia | 6,150 | $44,950 | $46,240 | $21.61 |
| Kansas | 7,920 | $44,890 | $44,340 | $21.58 |
| Indiana | 12,880 | $44,600 | $44,560 | $21.44 |
| Pennsylvania | 19,340 | $44,480 | $45,360 | $21.39 |
| Montana | 380 | $44,350 | $44,880 | $21.32 |
| California | 43,430 | $44,020 | $46,050 | $21.16 |
| South Dakota | 1,000 | $43,860 | $42,880 | $21.09 |
| Utah | 6,350 | $43,780 | $44,860 | $21.05 |
| Maryland | 3,030 | $43,670 | $48,480 | $21.00 |
| Ohio | 17,850 | $43,310 | $45,140 | $20.82 |
| Tennessee | 7,400 | $43,190 | $44,500 | $20.77 |
| Illinois | 29,400 | $43,150 | $44,740 | $20.75 |
| Georgia | 11,380 | $42,920 | $44,570 | $20.64 |
| Washington | 8,450 | $41,700 | $44,340 | $20.05 |
| Michigan | 10,940 | $41,690 | $44,110 | $20.05 |
| North Carolina | 11,870 | $41,150 | $43,850 | $19.78 |
| Minnesota | 7,340 | $40,960 | $44,010 | $19.69 |
| Arizona | 7,090 | $40,560 | $44,050 | $19.50 |
| Massachusetts | 5,020 | $40,360 | $43,100 | $19.40 |
| New Jersey | 9,810 | $40,280 | $43,940 | $19.37 |
| South Carolina | 4,890 | $40,010 | $42,380 | $19.24 |
| Connecticut | 1,540 | $39,460 | $43,380 | $18.97 |
| New York | 18,150 | $39,330 | $43,590 | $18.91 |
| Oklahoma | 3,150 | $39,310 | $40,430 | $18.90 |
| Texas | 22,970 | $38,950 | $41,480 | $18.73 |
| Alaska | 260 | $38,730 | $43,200 | $18.62 |
| Delaware | 680 | $38,500 | $41,900 | $18.51 |
| Louisiana | 1,910 | $38,370 | $40,030 | $18.45 |
| Rhode Island | 1,100 | $38,330 | $47,490 | $18.43 |
| Alabama | 3,240 | $37,820 | $40,280 | $18.18 |
| Arkansas | 4,630 | $37,740 | $40,230 | $18.15 |
| Mississippi | 3,030 | $37,720 | $37,760 | $18.14 |
| Nevada | 2,700 | $37,440 | $40,340 | $18.00 |
| Florida | 14,010 | $37,170 | $39,780 | $17.87 |
| Hawaii | 380 | $36,810 | $37,730 | $17.70 |
| New Mexico | 1,550 | $35,640 | $37,310 | $17.13 |
| Puerto Rico | 3,520 | $27,970 | $32,340 | $13.45 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders$43,530 a year
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$43,380 a year
- Etchers and Engravers$43,310 a year
- Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood$42,770 a year
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand$42,660 a year
- Food Batchmakers$42,290 a year
Common questions
How much do Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders earn in the United States?
The median pay was $43,220 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $33,390 and the highest-paid 10% more than $60,030.
How many people work as Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders?
About 379,060 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.