Occupation overview

Conveyor Operators and Tenders Salary in the United States

The median annual wage for conveyor operators and tenders is $42,420, or $20.39 per hour. About 22,930 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $62,830 in West Virginia to $36,200 in Oklahoma.

Median annual
$42,420
Median hourly
$20.39
Entry level (P10)
$36,180
Top 10% (P90)
$59,470
Employment
22,930
States covered
44

Wage distribution nationwide

Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.

10th percentile90th percentile
$36,180
$38,180
$42,420
$48,530
$36,180$42,420$59,470
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $42,420.

Salary by state

All 44 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmployment Location quotient
1West Virginia$62,830$30.215805.59
2Iowa$56,900$27.365902.57
3Maryland$56,120$26.98300.08
4Alabama$55,970$26.912100.67
5Louisiana$54,590$26.252100.73
6Wyoming$52,480$25.231202.94
7New Jersey$50,750$24.402100.33
8Utah$48,620$23.381400.53
9North Dakota$47,770$22.96801.27
10Indiana$46,300$22.266101.29
11Pennsylvania$45,130$21.704500.50
12South Dakota$44,890$21.585007.35
13Kentucky$44,800$21.547802.65
14Illinois$44,290$21.294800.53
15Missouri$44,100$21.202900.68
16Washington$43,480$20.906401.22
17Oregon$43,410$20.873901.36
18Nebraska$43,360$20.851,1807.81
19Massachusetts$43,150$20.751700.32
20California$43,150$20.742,4600.91
21Minnesota$43,000$20.684601.06
22Hawaii$42,880$20.61——
23New York$42,670$20.527200.50
24Idaho$40,750$19.592401.90
25Texas$40,650$19.542,3801.15
26Georgia$40,630$19.536000.83
27Colorado$40,480$19.463700.87
28Vermont$40,390$19.42501.21
29Kansas$40,030$19.258403.98
30Virginia$39,840$19.158201.36
31Ohio$39,610$19.043400.42
32Wisconsin$39,550$19.014501.04
33Michigan$39,340$18.914100.63
34Arizona$39,260$18.883600.75
35North Carolina$39,160$18.838401.15
36Montana$38,760$18.643704.91
37Nevada$38,450$18.493501.52
38Mississippi$38,320$18.422301.32
39Maine$38,310$18.422002.13
40Tennessee$38,260$18.397601.58
41Florida$38,190$18.364700.32
42South Carolina$38,020$18.284401.31
43Arkansas$36,940$17.763001.54
44Oklahoma$36,200$17.403501.41

Related occupations

Same job family, ranked by national employment.

Frequently asked questions

How much do conveyor operators and tenders make?

The median annual wage for conveyor operators and tenders in the United States is $42,420, or $20.39 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $36,180, and the top 10% earn $59,470.

How many conveyor operators and tenders are employed in the U.S.?

About 22,930 people work as conveyor operators and tenders nationwide.

Which state pays conveyor operators and tenders the most?

West Virginia pays the most at a median of $62,830, followed by Iowa ($56,900) and Maryland ($56,120).

Which state pays conveyor operators and tenders the least?

Oklahoma has the lowest median at $36,200.

Where are conveyor operators and tenders jobs most concentrated?

The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Nebraska at 7.81×.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Retrieved 2026-10-26. bls.gov/oes