Salary guide, May 2025
Filler 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 Industrial Machinery Mechanics in the United States was $64,520 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $55,010 and $78,780.
Broader occupation · SOC 49-9041 Industrial Machinery Mechanics
Filler Operator is shown within the broader published occupation. BLS does not separate this plant-specific title, seniority, shift, process or credential. Compare the duties with the SOC definition before using the range.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $46,120 | $55,010 | $64,520 | $78,780 | $95,170 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $22.17 | $26.45 | $31.02 | $37.88 | $45.76 |
BLS estimated 439,640 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 49-9041 Industrial Machinery Mechanics, 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 | $61,620 | $48,790 to $76,430 | 3,760 | 0.47 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $60,970 | $47,500 to $74,810 | 2,770 | 0.68 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $60,150 | $47,380 to $74,160 | 2,440 | 0.61 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $62,080 | $50,830 to $75,220 | 1,360 | 0.65 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $75,260 | $59,970 to $92,480 | 10,780 | 0.4 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $75,260 | $59,970 to $92,480 | 10,780 | 0.4 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $63,380 | $51,240 to $78,220 | 12,730 | 1.11 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $75,800 | $61,930 to $91,000 | 8,710 | 0.68 |
Rank every metro for Filler 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)$94,200
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$77,960
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$76,070
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$75,680
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$72,430
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$69,550
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$66,620
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$66,350
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$64,050
- Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$63,970
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$63,890
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$63,480
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$62,020
- Printing and Related Support Activities (NAICS 323000)$61,880
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$61,610
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 | 232,500 | $57,860 | $65,710 | $78,710 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 39,200 | $56,930 | $63,890 | $75,950 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 26,190 | $60,410 | $72,430 | $83,790 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 24,740 | $57,200 | $64,050 | $77,600 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 21,410 | $61,460 | $75,680 | $88,480 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 18,570 | $56,810 | $63,970 | $77,740 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 18,330 | $50,280 | $61,610 | $72,970 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 17,940 | $57,260 | $63,970 | $76,140 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 17,240 | $60,080 | $69,550 | $76,260 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 14,570 | $56,490 | $63,420 | $75,250 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 13,230 | $64,890 | $77,960 | $87,680 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 13,210 | $55,880 | $64,220 | $77,720 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 12,050 | $62,300 | $77,440 | $93,420 |
| 311600 · 4-digit | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 9,790 | $49,060 | $59,600 | $66,460 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 9,560 | $55,380 | $66,350 | $83,030 |
| 331100 · 4-digit | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 7,550 | $60,080 | $67,610 | $72,080 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 7,420 | $58,750 | $66,620 | $77,520 |
| 311400 · 4-digit | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 7,290 | $58,550 | $63,310 | $74,840 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 7,120 | $51,890 | $63,320 | $75,190 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 6,780 | $49,270 | $59,880 | $69,510 |
| 312000 · 3-digit | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 6,740 | $61,890 | $76,070 | $81,450 |
| 322200 · 4-digit | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 6,700 | $61,230 | $70,680 | $78,980 |
| 322100 · 4-digit | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 6,530 | $77,230 | $83,320 | $93,390 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 6,300 | $59,160 | $71,210 | $88,990 |
| 312100 · 4-digit | Beverage Manufacturing | 6,150 | $62,340 | $76,760 | $81,760 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 6,040 | $56,540 | $62,020 | $77,080 |
| 321000 · 3-digit | Wood Product Manufacturing | 6,010 | $50,260 | $60,800 | $71,870 |
| 311900 · 4-digit | Other Food Manufacturing | 5,950 | $59,910 | $68,160 | $79,460 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 5,740 | $61,050 | $76,220 | $83,190 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 5,460 | $73,000 | $83,790 | $104,110 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 4,960 | $60,920 | $69,030 | $77,060 |
| 311800 · 4-digit | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 4,830 | $60,370 | $66,890 | $76,110 |
| 336100 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 4,620 | $72,200 | $81,810 | $91,790 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 4,560 | $74,990 | $94,200 | $112,320 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 4,560 | $74,990 | $94,200 | $112,320 |
| 313000 · 3-digit | Textile Mills | 3,900 | $45,760 | $51,560 | $60,630 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 3,640 | $53,700 | $63,480 | $76,460 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 3,620 | $59,200 | $65,160 | $78,260 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 3,380 | $59,920 | $68,830 | $79,900 |
| 331500 · 4-digit | Foundries | 3,170 | $55,420 | $63,770 | $74,600 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 3,010 | $51,310 | $61,310 | $71,620 |
| 333600 · 4-digit | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 2,760 | $57,650 | $63,430 | $76,280 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 2,560 | $46,750 | $62,860 | $78,930 |
| 331300 · 4-digit | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 2,440 | $62,560 | $76,710 | $83,030 |
| 313200 · 4-digit | Fabric Mills | 2,380 | $47,460 | $53,570 | $62,250 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 2,370 | $60,840 | $71,530 | $77,810 |
| 332710 · 5-digit | Machine Shops | 2,330 | $50,580 | $60,500 | $71,530 |
| 321100 · 4-digit | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 2,320 | $48,100 | $59,260 | $70,220 |
| 333500 · 4-digit | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 2,260 | $55,320 | $64,480 | $78,170 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 2,260 | $56,430 | $64,220 | $77,960 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 2,190 | $62,350 | $71,880 | $79,870 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 2,180 | $63,440 | $72,420 | $77,580 |
| 337000 · 3-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 2,080 | $50,740 | $59,070 | $65,740 |
| 321900 · 4-digit | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 2,040 | $49,730 | $58,750 | $65,080 |
| 311300 · 4-digit | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 2,010 | $59,950 | $70,530 | $79,000 |
| 331200 · 4-digit | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 1,890 | $57,530 | $68,350 | $78,540 |
| 335200 · 4-digit | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 1,890 | $54,980 | $59,430 | $68,200 |
| 323000 · 3-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 1,750 | $52,000 | $61,880 | $73,130 |
| 323100 · 4-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 1,750 | $52,000 | $61,880 | $73,130 |
| 3370A1 · 4-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 1,720 | $50,740 | $58,220 | $64,810 |
| 321200 · 4-digit | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 1,640 | $57,950 | $65,520 | $77,080 |
| 314000 · 3-digit | Textile Product Mills | 1,630 | $47,390 | $57,610 | $62,400 |
| 311100 · 4-digit | Animal Food Manufacturing | 1,590 | $51,740 | $60,370 | $72,090 |
| 335300 · 4-digit | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 1,460 | $49,990 | $61,020 | $74,440 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 1,420 | $50,170 | $62,660 | $70,390 |
| 336600 · 4-digit | Ship and Boat Building | 1,380 | $55,490 | $64,620 | $70,480 |
| 339900 · 4-digit | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 1,380 | $50,750 | $62,360 | $73,110 |
| 314100 · 4-digit | Textile Furnishings Mills | 1,290 | $48,460 | $58,080 | $62,400 |
| 313100 · 4-digit | Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills | 1,220 | $42,630 | $48,360 | $56,050 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 1,140 | $53,380 | $65,670 | $81,250 |
| 336200 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 870 | $51,610 | $62,250 | $69,350 |
| 332720 · 5-digit | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 690 | $58,790 | $62,870 | $71,950 |
| 315000 · 3-digit | Apparel Manufacturing | 660 | $39,700 | $42,550 | $51,790 |
| 311700 · 4-digit | Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 610 | $44,890 | $54,640 | $64,800 |
| 312200 · 4-digit | Tobacco Manufacturing | 590 | $58,520 | $73,170 | $78,470 |
| 334100 · 4-digit | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 520 | $66,070 | $79,970 | $85,690 |
| 315100 · 4-digit | Apparel Knitting Mills | 390 | $37,460 | $40,600 | $44,610 |
| 336900 · 4-digit | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 360 | $57,480 | $65,320 | $73,600 |
| 337900 · 4-digit | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 350 | $51,160 | $60,130 | $70,340 |
| 314900 · 4-digit | Other Textile Product Mills | 340 | $40,560 | $50,440 | $61,470 |
| 335100 · 4-digit | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 320 | $57,790 | $63,720 | $73,850 |
| 313300 · 4-digit | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | 300 | $48,300 | $58,760 | $67,920 |
| 336500 · 4-digit | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 290 | $44,910 | $47,520 | $59,040 |
| 316000 · 3-digit | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 210 | $41,050 | $57,390 | $61,830 |
| 315200 · 4-digit | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 200 | $42,380 | $45,880 | $62,340 |
| 316200 · 4-digit | Footwear Manufacturing | 180 | $45,070 | $58,680 | $65,210 |
| 334200 · 4-digit | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 100 | $46,720 | $47,430 | $69,280 |
| 315900 · 4-digit | Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing | 80 | $43,470 | $56,950 | $58,830 |
| 334600 · 4-digit | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | 50 | $54,060 | $59,570 | $61,250 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Filler 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 | $52,710 | $63,760 | $78,070 |
| May 2025 | $55,010 | $64,520 | $78,780 |
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: Maintenance Manager pay (SOC 49-1011)
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about a move that can hold up?
Someone working in filler operators from beverage, food and formulated-product plants needs a clear reason to leave. If the answer depends on authority over filling-machine operation and checks protecting fill and package integrity 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 Filler Operator?
The median annual wage for Industrial Machinery Mechanics in the United States was $64,520 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $55,010 and $78,780. This is the broader occupation 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 $46,120. 90% earned less than $95,170.
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 Filler Operator at a plant?
Filler Operator is shown within the broader published occupation. BLS does not separate this plant-specific title, seniority, shift, process or credential. Compare the duties with the SOC definition before using the range. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 439,640 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
The Filler Operator role is represented within the Industrial Machinery Mechanics occupation. National employment for this group is 439640. The national median is $64520, a change of 760 from the prior median of $63760. For Filler Operator in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $55,010 to $78,780 annually.
They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them. Manufacturing Headhunters points out that these numbers exclude benefits and are broad, as the BLS does not differentiate the filler-specific tasks from general machinery mechanic work.
National industry comparisons for this role show $94200 in Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing, and $83790 in Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing. These industry rows are national in scale. Regional data for Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX shows a median of $63180 and a location quotient of 1.97. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro shows a median of $63380 and a location quotient of 1.11. The location quotient tracks employment density for the mechanic occupation, not local operator pay.
Filler operation involves diagnosing process issues versus managing line maintenance. The national median of $64520 reflects an aggregate that includes both maintenance and operational roles, which may skew the numbers depending on the specific facility requirements. For Filler Operator in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $55,010 to $78,780 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Why is the Filler Operator role grouped with Industrial Machinery Mechanics?
The BLS SOC system categorizes roles based on the primary nature of the work, and filler operation tasks often involve the mechanical maintenance of these systems. Thus, they are tracked as part of the broader 49-9041 occupation.
Are the national industry medians for Petroleum and Coal Products reliable for setting operator pay?
They are national industry benchmarks, not specific to filler operators. While they indicate what those industries pay their mechanics, they do not isolate filler operator compensation.
What does the location quotient in Houston signify for my hiring?
It indicates that Houston has a high concentration of machinery mechanics. It does not provide data on local wages for filler operators, as those are part of the larger aggregate occupation.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4