Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for packaging and filling machine 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).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- New Hampshire$53,950
- Wyoming$51,300
- Missouri$49,750
- North Dakota$48,500
- Maryland$48,480
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- New Mexico$37,310
- Hawaii$37,730
- Mississippi$37,760
- Florida$39,780
- Louisiana$40,030
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $53,950 | $49,450 | $26 | +21% | 620 |
| 2 | Wyoming | $51,300 | $48,890 | $25 | +15% | 360 |
| 3 | Missouri | $49,750 | $48,070 | $24 | +11.6% | 12,620 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $48,500 | $47,390 | $23 | +8.8% | 760 |
| 5 | Maryland | $48,480 | $43,670 | $23 | +8.7% | 3,030 |
| 6 | Maine | $48,440 | $47,970 | $23 | +8.6% | 1,490 |
| 7 | Iowa | $48,340 | $45,660 | $23 | +8.4% | 6,990 |
| 8 | Colorado | $48,180 | $46,010 | $23 | +8.1% | 4,760 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $47,490 | $38,330 | $23 | +6.5% | 1,100 |
| 10 | Kentucky | $46,700 | $45,450 | $22 | +4.7% | 8,640 |
| 11 | Idaho | $46,630 | $46,720 | $22 | +4.6% | 3,950 |
| 12 | Oregon | $46,340 | $45,180 | $22 | +3.9% | 5,370 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $46,280 | $46,410 | $22 | +3.8% | 810 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $46,270 | $46,220 | $22 | +3.8% | 16,150 |
| 15 | Virginia | $46,240 | $44,950 | $22 | +3.7% | 6,150 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $46,080 | $46,220 | $22 | +3.3% | 4,410 |
| 17 | California | $46,050 | $44,020 | $22 | +3.3% | 43,430 |
| 18 | Vermont | $45,650 | $46,670 | $22 | +2.4% | 880 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $45,360 | $44,480 | $22 | +1.7% | 19,340 |
| 20 | Ohio | $45,140 | $43,310 | $22 | +1.2% | 17,850 |
| 21 | Montana | $44,880 | $44,350 | $22 | +0.7% | 380 |
| 22 | Utah | $44,860 | $43,780 | $22 | +0.6% | 6,350 |
| 23 | Illinois | $44,740 | $43,150 | $22 | +0.3% | 29,400 |
| 24 | Georgia | $44,570 | $42,920 | $21 | +0% | 11,380 |
| 25 | Indiana | $44,560 | $44,600 | $21 | -0.1% | 12,880 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $44,500 | $43,190 | $21 | -0.2% | 7,400 |
| 27 | Kansas | $44,340 | $44,890 | $21 | -0.6% | 7,920 |
| 28 | Washington | $44,340 | $41,700 | $21 | -0.6% | 8,450 |
| 29 | Michigan | $44,110 | $41,690 | $21 | -1.1% | 10,940 |
| 30 | Arizona | $44,050 | $40,560 | $21 | -1.2% | 7,090 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $44,010 | $40,960 | $21 | -1.3% | 7,340 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $43,940 | $40,280 | $21 | -1.5% | 9,810 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $43,850 | $41,150 | $21 | -1.7% | 11,870 |
| 34 | New York | $43,590 | $39,330 | $21 | -2.2% | 18,150 |
| 35 | Connecticut | $43,380 | $39,460 | $21 | -2.7% | 1,540 |
| 36 | Alaska | $43,200 | $38,730 | $21 | -3.1% | 260 |
| 37 | Massachusetts | $43,100 | $40,360 | $21 | -3.3% | 5,020 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $42,880 | $43,860 | $21 | -3.8% | 1,000 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $42,380 | $40,010 | $20 | -5% | 4,890 |
| 40 | Delaware | $41,900 | $38,500 | $20 | -6% | 680 |
| 41 | Texas | $41,480 | $38,950 | $20 | -7% | 22,970 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $40,430 | $39,310 | $19 | -9.3% | 3,150 |
| 43 | Nevada | $40,340 | $37,440 | $19 | -9.5% | 2,700 |
| 44 | Alabama | $40,280 | $37,820 | $19 | -9.7% | 3,240 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $40,230 | $37,740 | $19 | -9.8% | 4,630 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $40,030 | $38,370 | $19 | -10.2% | 1,910 |
| 47 | Florida | $39,780 | $37,170 | $19 | -10.8% | 14,010 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $37,760 | $37,720 | $18 | -15.3% | 3,030 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $37,730 | $36,810 | $18 | -15.4% | 380 |
| 50 | New Mexico | $37,310 | $35,640 | $18 | -16.3% | 1,550 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 455 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $79,800 | $63,880 | 670 |
| 2 | Salisbury, MD | $69,060 | $61,560 | 60 |
| 3 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $67,700 | $62,650 | 1,080 |
| 4 | Connecticut nonmetropolitan area | $64,930 | $53,590 | 170 |
| 5 | Tuscaloosa, AL | $61,680 | $52,580 | 160 |
| 6 | Owensboro, KY | $61,250 | $56,140 | 980 |
| 7 | Eau Claire, WI | $60,340 | $52,650 | 330 |
| 8 | Decatur, IL | $59,160 | $54,800 | 160 |
| 9 | South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $57,480 | $51,580 | 630 |
| 10 | Traverse City, MI | $54,020 | $51,520 | 200 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing packaging and filling machine operators and tenderss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | $65,070 | $60,430 | 810 |
| 2 | Tobacco Manufacturing | $61,250 | $59,530 | 1,620 |
| 3 | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | $57,890 | $53,820 | 90 |
| 4 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $57,160 | $62,470 | 90 |
| 5 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $56,210 | $56,610 | 1,540 |
| 6 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $56,210 | $56,610 | 1,540 |
| 7 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $53,540 | $55,120 | 620 |
| 8 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $53,540 | $55,120 | 620 |
| 9 | Mining (except Oil and Gas) | $52,850 | $54,440 | 490 |
| 10 | Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying | $52,850 | $54,530 | 480 |
| 11 | Sector 21 - Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | $52,850 | $54,460 | 490 |
| 12 | Rental and Leasing Services | $52,060 | $58,100 | — |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do packaging and filling machine operators and tenders make in the U.S.?
The median packaging and filling machine operators and tenders salary in the United States is $43,220 per year (mean $44,590), and about 80% earn between $33,390 and $60,030.
How much do packaging and filling machine operators and tenders make per hour?
Roughly $21 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $44,590 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays packaging and filling machine operators and tenders the most?
New Hampshire has the highest average pay for packaging and filling machine operators and tenders at $53,950 per year (median $49,450).
What is the job outlook for packaging and filling machine operators and tenders?
Employment is projected to change +4.5% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 45,300 openings per year.