Conveyor Operators and Tenders
What Conveyor Operators and Tenders Do
Control or tend conveyors or conveyor systems that move materials or products to and from stockpiles, processing stations, departments, or vehicles. May control speed and routing of materials or products.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 8.9%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- English Languageimportance 4.0/5
- Mechanicalimportance 3.1/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.0/5
- Production and Processingimportance 3.0/5
- Transportationimportance 2.8/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 2.6/5
- Law and Governmentimportance 1.9/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 1.9/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment4.6/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.4/5
- Exposed to Contaminants4.4/5
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.4/5
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.3/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders98% skill match
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers96% skill match
- Gas Plant Operators95% skill match
- Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders95% skill match
- Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers94% skill match
- Nuclear Technicians94% skill match
- Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic94% skill match
- Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders94% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operations Monitoringimportance 4.0/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 4.0/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
- Troubleshootingimportance 2.9/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 2.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.9/5
- Time Managementimportance 2.9/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.8/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Control system software
- Conveyor control software
- Intelligrated InControlWare
- Sortation software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
- Stress Tolerance
- Integrity
- Cooperation
- Achievement Orientation
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- EnterprisingLow
- InvestigativeLow
- SocialLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 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.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where conveyor operators and tenders make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Wheeling, WV-OH18.67× national avg
- 2Vineland, NJ7.60× national avg
- 3Paducah, KY-IL6.22× national avg
- 4Greensboro-High Point, NC5.14× national avg
- 5Winchester, VA-WV4.63× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Industrial Truck and Tractor OperatorsLateral Move
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass FibersCareer Change
- Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersCareer Change
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment OperatorsCareer Change
See the full career path from Conveyor Operators and Tenders →