Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
51-9111 Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
Operate or tend machines to prepare industrial or consumer products for storage or shipment. Includes cannery workers who pack food products.
National estimates for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
Industry profile for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
Geographic profile for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
National estimates for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 358,640 |
1.1 % |
$ 17.67 |
$ 36,750 |
0.3 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 12.00 |
$ 14.06 |
$ 17.29 |
$ 20.22 |
$ 23.38 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 24,960 |
$ 29,250 |
$ 35,960 |
$ 42,050 |
$ 48,620 |
Industry profile for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing |
34,230 |
10.89 |
$ 18.90 |
$ 39,310 |
| Other Food Manufacturing |
32,740 |
13.97 |
$ 17.91 |
$ 37,250 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing |
29,500 |
17.25 |
$ 17.36 |
$ 36,110 |
| Employment Services |
27,680 |
0.79 |
$ 14.19 |
$ 29,520 |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing |
25,690 |
4.94 |
$ 16.26 |
$ 33,810 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing |
29,500 |
17.25 |
$ 17.36 |
$ 36,110 |
| Tobacco Manufacturing |
1,740 |
16.16 |
$ 23.54 |
$ 48,960 |
| Other Food Manufacturing |
32,740 |
13.97 |
$ 17.91 |
$ 37,250 |
| Dairy Product Manufacturing |
21,320 |
13.91 |
$ 19.20 |
$ 39,930 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) |
19,830 |
11.21 |
$ 17.07 |
$ 35,500 |
Top paying industries for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing |
130 |
0.16 |
$ 26.63 |
$ 55,390 |
| Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills |
1,000 |
1.14 |
$ 24.18 |
$ 50,300 |
| Tobacco Manufacturing |
1,740 |
16.16 |
$ 23.54 |
$ 48,960 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services |
100 |
0.01 |
$ 23.04 |
$ 47,920 |
| Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing |
1,140 |
1.10 |
$ 22.37 |
$ 46,520 |
Geographic profile for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
43,070 |
2.61 |
1.02 |
$ 19.10 |
$ 39,730 |
| Illinois |
22,190 |
3.95 |
1.55 |
$ 17.69 |
$ 36,780 |
| Texas |
19,430 |
1.59 |
0.62 |
$ 15.90 |
$ 33,070 |
| Pennsylvania |
18,870 |
3.38 |
1.33 |
$ 18.95 |
$ 39,410 |
| Wisconsin |
18,710 |
6.79 |
2.67 |
$ 18.31 |
$ 38,090 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Wisconsin |
18,710 |
6.79 |
2.67 |
$ 18.31 |
$ 38,090 |
| Kentucky |
9,410 |
5.12 |
2.01 |
$ 18.48 |
$ 38,430 |
| Iowa |
7,010 |
4.72 |
1.86 |
$ 17.00 |
$ 35,370 |
| Kansas |
6,080 |
4.54 |
1.78 |
$ 16.42 |
$ 34,150 |
| Idaho |
3,300 |
4.36 |
1.71 |
$ 16.33 |
$ 33,970 |
Top paying states for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Wyoming |
320 |
1.23 |
0.48 |
$ 23.72 |
$ 49,340 |
| New Hampshire |
820 |
1.29 |
0.51 |
$ 21.12 |
$ 43,940 |
| Missouri |
8,080 |
2.96 |
1.16 |
$ 19.79 |
$ 41,170 |
| Colorado |
4,790 |
1.83 |
0.72 |
$ 19.45 |
$ 40,460 |
| California |
43,070 |
2.61 |
1.02 |
$ 19.10 |
$ 39,730 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
18,280 |
2.11 |
0.83 |
$ 17.26 |
$ 35,890 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
16,810 |
3.97 |
1.56 |
$ 17.98 |
$ 37,400 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
13,800 |
2.41 |
0.95 |
$ 18.50 |
$ 38,470 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
6,690 |
1.86 |
0.73 |
$ 16.57 |
$ 34,460 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
6,570 |
2.48 |
0.97 |
$ 18.81 |
$ 39,120 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
6,170 |
2.39 |
0.94 |
$ 17.51 |
$ 36,430 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN |
5,840 |
5.70 |
2.24 |
$ 18.65 |
$ 38,790 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
5,100 |
2.27 |
0.89 |
$ 22.17 |
$ 46,120 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL |
4,420 |
3.46 |
1.36 |
$ 21.70 |
$ 45,130 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
4,400 |
1.79 |
0.70 |
$ 14.80 |
$ 30,780 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Sheboygan, WI |
1,010 |
17.47 |
6.86 |
$ 19.01 |
$ 39,540 |
| Gettysburg, PA |
520 |
16.27 |
6.39 |
$ 19.26 |
$ 40,060 |
| Twin Falls, ID |
690 |
14.98 |
5.89 |
$ 16.00 |
$ 33,290 |
| Merced, CA |
960 |
13.32 |
5.23 |
$ 18.36 |
$ 38,180 |
| Kankakee, IL |
550 |
13.10 |
5.14 |
$ 17.90 |
$ 37,230 |
| Owensboro, KY |
650 |
13.03 |
5.12 |
$ 18.85 |
$ 39,210 |
| Wausau, WI |
860 |
12.67 |
4.98 |
$ 19.92 |
$ 41,420 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS |
660 |
12.54 |
4.93 |
$ 18.64 |
$ 38,770 |
| Harrisonburg, VA |
760 |
12.32 |
4.84 |
$ 21.67 |
$ 45,070 |
| Napa, CA |
830 |
12.02 |
4.72 |
$ 21.41 |
$ 44,520 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Battle Creek, MI |
160 |
3.18 |
1.25 |
$ 28.92 |
$ 60,150 |
| Albany, GA |
470 |
8.17 |
3.21 |
$ 25.76 |
$ 53,570 |
| Fort Collins, CO |
610 |
3.80 |
1.49 |
$ 24.32 |
$ 50,590 |
| Syracuse, NY |
800 |
2.87 |
1.13 |
$ 23.43 |
$ 48,730 |
| Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH |
70 |
1.94 |
0.76 |
$ 22.32 |
$ 46,430 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
5,100 |
2.27 |
0.89 |
$ 22.17 |
$ 46,120 |
| Staunton-Waynesboro, VA |
200 |
4.36 |
1.71 |
$ 21.80 |
$ 45,340 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL |
4,420 |
3.46 |
1.36 |
$ 21.70 |
$ 45,130 |
| Harrisonburg, VA |
760 |
12.32 |
4.84 |
$ 21.67 |
$ 45,070 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA |
820 |
6.31 |
2.48 |
$ 21.43 |
$ 44,580 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders:
| Nonmetropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Kansas nonmetropolitan area |
3,340 |
8.90 |
3.50 |
$ 15.80 |
$ 32,860 |
| South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area |
2,390 |
11.98 |
4.71 |
$ 18.04 |
$ 37,510 |
| North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) |
2,260 |
7.18 |
2.82 |
$ 18.92 |
$ 39,360 |
| Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area |
1,920 |
7.61 |
2.99 |
$ 18.30 |
$ 38,070 |
| Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area |
1,660 |
9.59 |
3.77 |
$ 19.07 |
$ 39,670 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders:
About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
United States Department of Labor
