Conveyor Operators and Tenders Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for conveyor operators and tenderss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $45,080 ≈ $22/hr

National median salary $42,420

Total employment 22,930 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth -3.4% Decline

Annual openings 2,600 per year (avg)

Employment 2024→2034 29,100 → 28,100 (-1,000)

Typical entry education No formal educational credential

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

AK ME WI VT NH WA ID MT ND MN IL MI NY MA OR NV WY SD IA IN OH PA NJ CTRI CA UT CO NE MO KY WV VA MD DE AZ NM KS AR TN NC SC DC OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL

Mean annual wage $39,000–$42,000 $42,000–$43,000 $43,000–$45,000 $45,000–$48,000 $48,000–$70,000 U.S. mean $45,080

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

Wyoming$69,660
North Dakota$64,540
West Virginia$60,510
Maryland$56,920
Iowa$54,950

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

Florida$38,900
South Carolina$39,040
Arkansas$39,250
Arizona$40,100
Vermont$40,110

State Rankings

⇄ Compare specific states

#	State	Mean	Median	Hourly	vs. U.S.	Employment
1	Wyoming	$69,660	$52,480	$33	+54.5%	120
2	North Dakota	$64,540	$47,770	$31	+43.2%	80
3	West Virginia	$60,510	$62,830	$29	+34.2%	580
4	Maryland	$56,920	$56,120	$27	+26.3%	30
5	Iowa	$54,950	$56,900	$26	+21.9%	590
6	Alabama	$54,640	$55,970	$26	+21.2%	210
7	Indiana	$54,320	$46,300	$26	+20.5%	610
8	Utah	$51,480	$48,620	$25	+14.2%	140
9	Louisiana	$49,630	$54,590	$24	+10.1%	210
10	Pennsylvania	$47,950	$45,130	$23	+6.4%	450
11	Kentucky	$47,810	$44,800	$23	+6.1%	780
12	New Jersey	$47,560	$50,750	$23	+5.5%	210
13	Washington	$46,930	$43,480	$23	+4.1%	640
14	Oregon	$46,560	$43,410	$22	+3.3%	390
15	Illinois	$46,060	$44,290	$22	+2.2%	480
16	Wisconsin	$45,890	$39,550	$22	+1.8%	450
17	Missouri	$45,270	$44,100	$22	+0.4%	290
18	California	$44,950	$43,150	$22	-0.3%	2,460
19	Colorado	$44,560	$40,480	$21	-1.2%	370
20	Maine	$44,310	$38,310	$21	-1.7%	200
21	Michigan	$44,120	$39,340	$21	-2.1%	410
22	Kansas	$43,850	$40,030	$21	-2.7%	840
23	South Dakota	$43,820	$44,890	$21	-2.8%	500
24	Hawaii	$43,590	$42,880	$21	-3.3%	—
25	Idaho	$43,470	$40,750	$21	-3.6%	240
26	Minnesota	$43,440	$43,000	$21	-3.6%	460
27	Virginia	$43,360	$39,840	$21	-3.8%	820
28	Nebraska	$43,170	$43,360	$21	-4.2%	1,180
29	Georgia	$43,100	$40,630	$21	-4.4%	600
30	Texas	$42,960	$40,650	$21	-4.7%	2,380
31	Montana	$42,820	$38,760	$21	-5%	370
32	Ohio	$42,690	$39,610	$21	-5.3%	340
33	Massachusetts	$42,650	$43,150	$21	-5.4%	170
34	Tennessee	$42,640	$38,260	$21	-5.4%	760
35	Nevada	$42,360	$38,450	$20	-6%	350
36	New York	$42,310	$42,670	$20	-6.1%	720
37	Mississippi	$42,150	$38,320	$20	-6.5%	230
38	Oklahoma	$41,130	$36,200	$20	-8.8%	350
39	North Carolina	$40,200	$39,160	$19	-10.8%	840
40	Vermont	$40,110	$40,390	$19	-11%	50
41	Arizona	$40,100	$39,260	$19	-11%	360
42	Arkansas	$39,250	$36,940	$19	-12.9%	300
43	South Carolina	$39,040	$38,020	$19	-13.4%	440
44	Florida	$38,900	$38,190	$19	-13.7%	470

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 103 metro areas.

#	Metro area	Median	Mean	Employment
1	Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area	$109,490	$88,500	70
2	Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area	$69,370	$68,390	50
3	Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area	$66,920	$59,260	40
4	Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area	$66,580	$64,170	160
5	Wheeling, WV-OH	$64,160	$57,250	160
6	Baton Rouge, LA	$63,780	$56,280	—
7	Merced, CA	$62,970	$56,600	40
8	Charleston, WV	$62,820	$62,280	70
9	Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area	$62,670	$59,690	280
10	Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area	$61,430	$62,940	120

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing conveyor operators and tenderss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#	Industry	Median	Mean	Employment
1	Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS	$81,330	$77,540	40
2	Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS	$81,330	$77,540	40
3	Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)	$81,330	$81,330	30
4	Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation)	$81,330	$81,330	30
5	Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS	$81,330	$77,540	40
6	Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills	$66,920	$65,860	90
7	Coal Mining	$64,160	$66,700	720
8	Mining (except Oil and Gas)	$63,770	$65,930	1,270
9	Sector 21 - Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction	$63,770	$65,950	1,290
10	Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying	$61,690	$64,130	—
11	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$61,350	$64,150	130
12	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$61,350	$64,150	130

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do conveyor operators and tenders make in the U.S.?

The median conveyor operators and tenders salary in the United States is $42,420 per year (mean $45,080), and about 80% earn between $36,180 and $59,470.

How much do conveyor operators and tenders make per hour?

Roughly $22 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $45,080 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays conveyor operators and tenders the most?

Wyoming has the highest average pay for conveyor operators and tenders at $69,660 per year (median $52,480).

What is the job outlook for conveyor operators and tenders?

Employment is projected to change -3.4% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 2,600 openings per year.