Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
What Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders Do
Operate or tend machines to prepare industrial or consumer products for storage or shipment. Includes cannery workers who pack food products.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- Not available
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.
- Production and Processingimportance 3.8/5
- Mechanicalimportance 3.5/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.2/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 3.2/5
- English Languageimportance 3.2/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.1/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.1/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 2.7/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment4.6/5
- Spend Time Standing4.6/5
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.5/5
- Exposed to Contaminants4.5/5
- Time Pressure4.4/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.4/5
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.
- Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders97% skill match
- Highway Maintenance Workers96% skill match
- Nuclear Technicians96% skill match
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers96% skill match
- Gas Plant Operators96% skill match
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas95% skill match
- Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons95% skill match
- Motorboat Operators95% 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 3.3/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.0/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.9/5
- Equipment Maintenanceimportance 2.9/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 2.9/5
- Time Managementimportance 2.9/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.8/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Email software
- Label printing software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Stress Tolerance
- Integrity
- Perseverance
- 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 packaging and filling machine operators and tenders make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1St. Joseph, MO-KS8.46× national avg
- 2Logan, UT-ID8.15× national avg
- 3Owensboro, KY8.13× national avg
- 4Twin Falls, ID7.79× national avg
- 5Kankakee, IL7.77× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersLateral Move
- Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and TendersLateral Move
- Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station OperatorsCareer Change
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, HandLateral Move
See the full career path from Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders →