Occupation overview

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders Salary in the United States

The median annual wage for packaging and filling machine operators and tenders is $43,220, or $20.78 per hour. About 379,060 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $49,450 in New Hampshire to $35,640 in New Mexico.

Median annual
$43,220
Median hourly
$20.78
Entry level (P10)
$33,390
Top 10% (P90)
$60,030
Employment
379,060
States covered
50

Wage distribution nationwide

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

10th percentile90th percentile
$33,390
$36,850
$43,220
$49,070
$33,390$43,220$60,030
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $43,220.

Salary by state

All 50 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmployment Location quotient
1New Hampshire$49,450$23.786200.37
2Wyoming$48,890$23.513600.53
3Missouri$48,070$23.1112,6201.76
4Maine$47,970$23.061,4900.95
5North Dakota$47,390$22.787600.73
6Idaho$46,720$22.463,9501.89
7Vermont$46,670$22.448801.18
8West Virginia$46,410$22.318100.47
9Wisconsin$46,220$22.2216,1502.25
10Nebraska$46,220$22.224,4101.77
11Colorado$46,010$22.124,7600.68
12Iowa$45,660$21.956,9901.84
13Kentucky$45,450$21.858,6401.77
14Oregon$45,180$21.725,3701.12
15Virginia$44,950$21.616,1500.61
16Kansas$44,890$21.587,9202.26
17Indiana$44,600$21.4412,8801.65
18Pennsylvania$44,480$21.3919,3401.31
19Montana$44,350$21.323800.31
20California$44,020$21.1643,4300.98
21South Dakota$43,860$21.091,0000.90
22Utah$43,780$21.056,3501.50
23Maryland$43,670$21.003,0300.45
24Ohio$43,310$20.8217,8501.32
25Tennessee$43,190$20.777,4000.93
26Illinois$43,150$20.7529,4001.98
27Georgia$42,920$20.6411,3800.95
28Washington$41,700$20.058,4500.98
29Michigan$41,690$20.0510,9401.02
30North Carolina$41,150$19.7811,8700.98
31Minnesota$40,960$19.697,3401.02
32Arizona$40,560$19.507,0900.90
33Massachusetts$40,360$19.405,0200.57
34New Jersey$40,280$19.379,8100.94
35South Carolina$40,010$19.244,8900.87
36Connecticut$39,460$18.971,5400.37
37New York$39,330$18.9118,1500.77
38Oklahoma$39,310$18.903,1500.76
39Texas$38,950$18.7322,9700.67
40Alaska$38,730$18.622600.33
41Delaware$38,500$18.516800.58
42Louisiana$38,370$18.451,9100.41
43Rhode Island$38,330$18.431,1000.90
44Alabama$37,820$18.183,2400.63
45Arkansas$37,740$18.154,6301.46
46Mississippi$37,720$18.143,0301.07
47Nevada$37,440$18.002,7000.71
48Florida$37,170$17.8714,0100.58
49Hawaii$36,810$17.703800.25
50New Mexico$35,640$17.131,5500.73

Related occupations

Same job family, ranked by national employment.

Frequently asked questions

How much do packaging and filling machine operators and tenders make?

The median annual wage for packaging and filling machine operators and tenders in the United States is $43,220, or $20.78 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $33,390, and the top 10% earn $60,030.

How many packaging and filling machine operators and tenders are employed in the U.S.?

About 379,060 people work as packaging and filling machine operators and tenders nationwide.

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

New Hampshire pays the most at a median of $49,450, followed by Wyoming ($48,890) and Missouri ($48,070).

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

New Mexico has the lowest median at $35,640.

Where are packaging and filling machine operators and tenders jobs most concentrated?

The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Kansas at 2.26×.

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