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How Much Does a Packaging and Filling Machine Operator and Tender Make?

A packaging and filling machine operator and tender in the US earns a median salary of $43,220 a year, or $20.78 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $44,590, and the middle half earn between $36,850 and $49,070.

Median a year $43,220
Median an hour $20.78
Median a month $3,602
Average a year $44,590

Packaging and filling machine operator and tender pay range

What packaging and filling 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%) $33,390 $16.06
25th $36,850 $17.72
Median (50th) $43,220 $20.78
75th $49,070 $23.59
90th (top 10%) $60,030 $28.86

The median is 15% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 379,060 people work as packaging and filling machine operators and tenders in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$831
Every two weeks
$1,662
Twice a month
$1,801
A month
$3,602

At the median salary, before tax.

Packaging and filling machine operator and tender salary by state

Sorted by average pay. New Hampshire pays packaging and filling machine operators and tenders the most, at $53,950 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
New Hampshire $53,950 $49,450 620 After tax
Wyoming $51,300 $48,890 360 After tax
Missouri $49,750 $48,070 12,620 After tax
North Dakota $48,500 $47,390 760 After tax
Maryland $48,480 $43,670 3,030 After tax
Maine $48,440 $47,970 1,490 After tax
Iowa $48,340 $45,660 6,990 After tax
Colorado $48,180 $46,010 4,760 After tax
Rhode Island $47,490 $38,330 1,100 After tax
Kentucky $46,700 $45,450 8,640 After tax
Idaho $46,630 $46,720 3,950 After tax
Oregon $46,340 $45,180 5,370 After tax
West Virginia $46,280 $46,410 810 After tax
Wisconsin $46,270 $46,220 16,150 After tax
Virginia $46,240 $44,950 6,150 After tax
Nebraska $46,080 $46,220 4,410 After tax
California $46,050 $44,020 43,430 After tax
Vermont $45,650 $46,670 880 After tax
Pennsylvania $45,360 $44,480 19,340 After tax
Ohio $45,140 $43,310 17,850 After tax
Montana $44,880 $44,350 380 After tax
Utah $44,860 $43,780 6,350 After tax
Illinois $44,740 $43,150 29,400 After tax
Georgia $44,570 $42,920 11,380 After tax
Indiana $44,560 $44,600 12,880 After tax
Tennessee $44,500 $43,190 7,400 After tax
Kansas $44,340 $44,890 7,920 After tax
Washington $44,340 $41,700 8,450 After tax
Michigan $44,110 $41,690 10,940 After tax
Arizona $44,050 $40,560 7,090 After tax
Minnesota $44,010 $40,960 7,340 After tax
New Jersey $43,940 $40,280 9,810 After tax
North Carolina $43,850 $41,150 11,870 After tax
New York $43,590 $39,330 18,150 After tax
Connecticut $43,380 $39,460 1,540 After tax
Alaska $43,200 $38,730 260 After tax
Massachusetts $43,100 $40,360 5,020 After tax
South Dakota $42,880 $43,860 1,000 After tax
South Carolina $42,380 $40,010 4,890 After tax
Delaware $41,900 $38,500 680 After tax
Texas $41,480 $38,950 22,970 After tax
Oklahoma $40,430 $39,310 3,150 After tax
Nevada $40,340 $37,440 2,700 After tax
Alabama $40,280 $37,820 3,240 After tax
Arkansas $40,230 $37,740 4,630 After tax
Louisiana $40,030 $38,370 1,910 After tax
Florida $39,780 $37,170 14,010 After tax
Mississippi $37,760 $37,720 3,030 After tax
Hawaii $37,730 $36,810 380 After tax
New Mexico $37,310 $35,640 1,550 After tax
Puerto Rico $32,340 $27,970 3,520

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 “Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders” (SOC 51-9111). 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 packaging and filling machine operator and tender make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a packaging and filling machine operator and tender is $20.78, and the average is $21.44. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $16.06 an hour and the top 10% over $28.86.

How much does a packaging and filling machine operator and tender make a month?

At the median salary of $43,220, a packaging and filling machine operator and tender earns about $3,602 a month before tax, or $1,662 every two weeks.

Which state pays packaging and filling machine operators and tenders the most?

New Hampshire has the highest average pay for a packaging and filling machine operator and tender, at $53,950 a year. Next are Wyoming and Missouri. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a packaging and filling machine operator and tender?

The lowest-paid 10% of packaging and filling machine operators and tenders earn less than $33,390 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $36,850. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid packaging and filling machine operators and tenders make?

The top 10% earn more than $60,030 a year, and the top 25% more than $49,070.