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How Much Does a Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operator and Tender Make?

A food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operator and tender in the US earns a median salary of $44,810 a year, or $21.54 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $45,930, and the middle half earn between $37,540 and $50,680.

Median a year $44,810
Median an hour $21.54
Median a month $3,734
Average a year $45,930

Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operator and tender pay range

What food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $33,250 $15.98
25th $37,540 $18.05
Median (50th) $44,810 $21.54
75th $50,680 $24.37
90th (top 10%) $62,680 $30.14

The median is 12% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 20,370 people work as food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$862
Every two weeks
$1,723
Twice a month
$1,867
A month
$3,734

At the median salary, before tax.

Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operator and tender salary by state

Sorted by average pay. North Dakota pays food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders the most, at $63,860 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
North Dakota $63,860 $77,300 30 After tax
Maryland $61,310 $60,170 200 After tax
Virginia $58,810 $59,260 270 After tax
Colorado $56,550 $59,590 500 After tax
Nevada $55,520 $54,950 130 After tax
Minnesota $55,400 $50,340 1,120 After tax
Washington $53,090 $50,590 720 After tax
Alaska $51,140 $55,280 30 After tax
Pennsylvania $50,450 $49,660 540 After tax
Maine $49,920 $50,220 100 After tax
Oregon $49,310 $46,250 500 After tax
Iowa $49,070 $47,960 660 After tax
New York $48,970 $49,020 1,370 After tax
Wisconsin $48,950 $48,560 540 After tax
Kentucky $48,790 $48,540 340 After tax
Michigan $47,700 $48,240 700 After tax
Massachusetts $46,790 $45,400 190 After tax
Utah $46,600 $47,940 130 After tax
Idaho $46,590 $48,250 430 After tax
California $46,450 $45,600 1,630 After tax
Nebraska $46,180 $43,410 440 After tax
Vermont $45,460 $40,990 80 After tax
Indiana $45,130 $43,370 260 After tax
Kansas $44,790 $44,550 220 After tax
Arizona $44,440 $43,010 90 After tax
South Dakota $44,340 $45,040 120 After tax
Hawaii $44,180 $45,390 90 After tax
Arkansas $43,630 $45,080 580 After tax
North Carolina $43,350 $35,980 1,510 After tax
Missouri $43,170 $43,460 1,030 After tax
Connecticut $43,050 $41,720 60 After tax
Ohio $42,000 $44,190 910 After tax
Tennessee $41,770 $39,130 350 After tax
Illinois $41,620 $38,230 440 After tax
South Carolina $41,310 $40,000 140 After tax
Oklahoma $40,890 $42,390 370 After tax
Georgia $40,080 $37,390 290 After tax
New Jersey $39,480 $37,140 630 After tax
Louisiana $38,760 $38,440 80 After tax
Montana $38,500 $35,360 130 After tax
New Mexico $37,860 $35,480 70 After tax
Texas $37,590 $37,140 1,800 After tax
Mississippi $36,550 $37,030 60 After tax
Florida $36,500 $35,340 360 After tax

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other production jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders” (SOC 51-3091). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operator and tender make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operator and tender is $21.54, and the average is $22.08. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $15.98 an hour and the top 10% over $30.14.

How much does a food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operator and tender make a month?

At the median salary of $44,810, a food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operator and tender earns about $3,734 a month before tax, or $1,723 every two weeks.

Which state pays food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders the most?

North Dakota has the highest average pay for a food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operator and tender, at $63,860 a year. Next are Maryland and Virginia. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operator and tender?

The lowest-paid 10% of food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders earn less than $33,250 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $37,540. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders make?

The top 10% earn more than $62,680 a year, and the top 25% more than $50,680.