Salary guide, May 2025
Aseptic Fill Operator pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders in the United States was $58,040 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $45,970 and $74,080.
Closest proxy · SOC 51-9011 Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
The Aseptic Fill Operator title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $37,440 | $45,970 | $58,040 | $74,080 | $92,250 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $18.00 | $22.10 | $27.90 | $35.62 | $44.35 |
BLS estimated 139,630 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-9011 Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $37,900 | $36,400 to $47,480 | 1,050 | 0.41 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $44,560 | $36,180 to $52,570 | 900 | 0.69 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $44,700 | $37,090 to $48,220 | 350 | 0.28 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $60,440 | $49,600 to $64,240 | 350 | 0.53 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $54,790 | $46,120 to $66,530 | 8,060 | 0.95 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $54,790 | $46,120 to $66,530 | 8,060 | 0.95 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $47,230 | $37,440 to $61,620 | 3,640 | 1 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $61,250 | $46,940 to $79,390 | 4,510 | 1.11 |
Rank every metro for Aseptic Fill Operator
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$98,320
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$62,500
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$61,830
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$59,080
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$58,330
- Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$57,020
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$54,300
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$51,580
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$49,880
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$49,660
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$49,440
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$49,270
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$45,930
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 134,210 | $46,130 | $58,420 | $74,310 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 124,330 | $45,980 | $58,330 | $74,310 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 71,950 | $47,790 | $61,600 | $80,330 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 32,560 | $44,060 | $49,820 | $61,990 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 19,830 | $42,200 | $48,550 | $59,810 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,060 | $83,590 | $98,320 | $100,050 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,060 | $83,590 | $98,320 | $100,050 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 1,630 | $45,880 | $57,020 | $66,230 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 1,570 | $51,850 | $62,500 | $71,750 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 1,350 | $48,060 | $59,080 | $64,790 |
| 322100 · 4-digit | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 1,180 | $55,760 | $64,430 | $74,820 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 1,100 | $46,190 | $60,160 | $66,230 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 690 | $46,070 | $49,880 | $60,290 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 620 | $43,360 | $45,930 | $54,910 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 610 | $47,680 | $61,830 | $73,760 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 600 | $54,340 | $62,360 | $67,650 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 540 | $45,880 | $51,680 | $62,000 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 530 | $46,180 | $49,440 | $58,880 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 470 | $46,380 | $49,440 | $58,880 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 440 | $48,080 | $50,070 | $62,540 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 440 | $45,660 | $49,270 | $61,180 |
| 331500 · 4-digit | Foundries | 400 | $46,140 | $51,530 | $59,080 |
| 322200 · 4-digit | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 390 | $47,660 | $55,580 | $62,950 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 360 | $58,320 | $64,020 | $73,760 |
| 331300 · 4-digit | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 330 | $44,220 | $48,780 | $68,230 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 320 | $49,260 | $50,020 | $61,180 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 140 | $52,410 | $54,300 | $68,410 |
| 334100 · 4-digit | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 140 | $42,630 | $46,110 | $46,110 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 130 | $47,660 | $49,660 | $62,650 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 130 | $47,660 | $49,660 | $62,650 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 120 | $46,470 | $47,270 | $49,140 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 120 | $56,050 | $71,880 | $85,550 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 110 | $52,990 | $59,480 | $83,860 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 90 | $41,800 | $47,630 | $49,240 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 60 | $47,400 | $51,580 | $59,600 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 50 | $47,400 | $52,780 | $59,600 |
| 311400 · 4-digit | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 40 | $79,390 | $83,490 | $90,780 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 30 | $45,860 | $47,660 | $48,750 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | Not published by BLS | $43,140 | $43,360 | $46,300 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Aseptic Fill Operator, write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $45,660 | $57,090 | $71,400 |
| May 2025 | $45,970 | $58,040 | $74,080 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
What should you know about supervisory and worker occupations?
BLS publishes these as separate occupations. Pay for one is not a pay step for the other.
- Supervisor occupation: Production Supervisor pay (SOC 51-1011)
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about a move that can hold up?
Someone working in operators from sterile filling and controlled pharmaceutical production needs a clear reason to leave. If the answer depends on authority over sterile filling work and controlled interventions in the filling environment that you cannot offer, that mismatch belongs in the conversation before an offer.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Aseptic Fill Operator?
The median annual wage for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders in the United States was $58,040 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $45,970 and $74,080. This is the closest proxy BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $37,440. 90% earned less than $92,250.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Aseptic Fill Operator at a plant?
The Aseptic Fill Operator title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 139,630 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
The Aseptic Fill Operator role is mapped to SOC 51-9011, Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders. For Aseptic Fill Operator in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $58,040; the May 2024 median is $57,090. Their arithmetic difference is $950.
They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. The middle band width is $28,110, with a P25 of $45,970 and a P75 of $74,080. Manufacturing Headhunters notes that while this mapping is a proxy, it captures a more relevant range than the broad production worker codes. However, it still fails to isolate the critical gowning and contamination-control skills required for aseptic filling.
National industry statistics provide deeper context for how sectors value these operations. Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing reports a median of $98,320, while Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing reports $83,490. These industry-specific medians illustrate the premium attached to specialized filling processes. For Aseptic Fill Operator in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded. This mapping remains an approximation, as the BLS does not provide a dedicated code for aseptic manufacturing processes.
Regional employment data highlights the pay variance between two high-employment hubs. The Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, metro shows a median of $79,430 with a middle band width of $53,550. The location quotient for Houston is 3.18, and for New York it is 0.95. For Aseptic Fill Operator in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded. Since the data covers all chemical equipment operators, it includes personnel outside of the pharmaceutical-grade aseptic cleanrooms that typically define this role.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Why use Chemical Equipment Operators as a proxy for Aseptic Fill Operators?
This SOC is the closest functional match provided by BLS. It captures equipment-tending tasks that align with the technical nature of fill line operation.
What causes the wide $53,550 middle band width in the Houston area?
This signifies high salary dispersion among chemical equipment operators in that region, likely due to the diverse mix of heavy petrochemical and specialized chemical plants.
Does the national median reflect pay for cleanroom aseptic operations?
No, the median covers the entire chemical equipment occupation. It includes operators in non-cleanroom, general chemical environments that require different safety and process skill sets.
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