Salary guide, May 2025
Packaging 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
Packaging 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 Packaging 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.
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$94,200
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$94,200
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing$83,790
- Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills$83,320
- Motor Vehicle Manufacturing$81,810
- Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing$79,970
- Paper Manufacturing$77,960
- Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)$77,440
- Beverage Manufacturing$76,760
- Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing$76,710
- Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing$76,220
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing$76,070
- Chemical Manufacturing$75,680
- Tobacco Manufacturing$73,170
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing$72,430
Bars show up to 15 industries with exact annual medians. The table lists every published industry.
| NAICS | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 232,500 | $57,860 | $65,710 | $78,710 |
| 311000 | Food Manufacturing | 39,200 | $56,930 | $63,890 | $75,950 |
| 336000 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 26,190 | $60,410 | $72,430 | $83,790 |
| 333000 | Machinery Manufacturing | 24,740 | $57,200 | $64,050 | $77,600 |
| 325000 | Chemical Manufacturing | 21,410 | $61,460 | $75,680 | $88,480 |
| 3330A1 | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 18,570 | $56,810 | $63,970 | $77,740 |
| 332000 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 18,330 | $50,280 | $61,610 | $72,970 |
| 326000 | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 17,940 | $57,260 | $63,970 | $76,140 |
| 331000 | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 17,240 | $60,080 | $69,550 | $76,260 |
| 326100 | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 14,570 | $56,490 | $63,420 | $75,250 |
| 322000 | Paper Manufacturing | 13,230 | $64,890 | $77,960 | $87,680 |
| 336300 | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 13,210 | $55,880 | $64,220 | $77,720 |
| 3250A1 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 12,050 | $62,300 | $77,440 | $93,420 |
| 311600 | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 9,790 | $49,060 | $59,600 | $66,460 |
| 334000 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 9,560 | $55,380 | $66,350 | $83,030 |
| 331100 | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 7,550 | $60,080 | $67,610 | $72,080 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 7,420 | $58,750 | $66,620 | $77,520 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 7,420 | $58,750 | $66,620 | $77,520 |
| 311400 | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 7,290 | $58,550 | $63,310 | $74,840 |
| 3320A2 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 7,120 | $51,890 | $63,320 | $75,190 |
| 3320A1 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 6,780 | $49,270 | $59,880 | $69,510 |
| 312000 | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 6,740 | $61,890 | $76,070 | $81,450 |
| 322200 | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 6,700 | $61,230 | $70,680 | $78,980 |
| 322100 | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 6,530 | $77,230 | $83,320 | $93,390 |
| 334400 | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 6,300 | $59,160 | $71,210 | $88,990 |
| 312100 | Beverage Manufacturing | 6,150 | $62,340 | $76,760 | $81,760 |
| 335000 | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 6,040 | $56,540 | $62,020 | $77,080 |
| 321000 | Wood Product Manufacturing | 6,010 | $50,260 | $60,800 | $71,870 |
| 311900 | Other Food Manufacturing | 5,950 | $59,910 | $68,160 | $79,460 |
| 325400 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 5,740 | $61,050 | $76,220 | $83,190 |
| 336400 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 5,460 | $73,000 | $83,790 | $104,110 |
| 311500 | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 4,960 | $60,920 | $69,030 | $77,060 |
| 311800 | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 4,830 | $60,370 | $66,890 | $76,110 |
| 336100 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 4,620 | $72,200 | $81,810 | $91,790 |
| 324000 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 4,560 | $74,990 | $94,200 | $112,320 |
| 324100 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 4,560 | $74,990 | $94,200 | $112,320 |
| 313000 | Textile Mills | 3,900 | $45,760 | $51,560 | $60,630 |
| 339000 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 3,640 | $53,700 | $63,480 | $76,460 |
| 3250A2 | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 3,620 | $59,200 | $65,160 | $78,260 |
| 326200 | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 3,380 | $59,920 | $68,830 | $79,900 |
| 331500 | Foundries | 3,170 | $55,420 | $63,770 | $74,600 |
| 332700 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 3,010 | $51,310 | $61,310 | $71,620 |
| 333600 | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 2,760 | $57,650 | $63,430 | $76,280 |
| 334500 | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 2,560 | $46,750 | $62,860 | $78,930 |
| 331300 | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 2,440 | $62,560 | $76,710 | $83,030 |
| 313200 | Fabric Mills | 2,380 | $47,460 | $53,570 | $62,250 |
| 335900 | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 2,370 | $60,840 | $71,530 | $77,810 |
| 332710 | Machine Shops | 2,330 | $50,580 | $60,500 | $71,530 |
| 321100 | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 2,320 | $48,100 | $59,260 | $70,220 |
| 333500 | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 2,260 | $55,320 | $64,480 | $78,170 |
| 339100 | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 2,260 | $56,430 | $64,220 | $77,960 |
| 331400 | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 2,190 | $62,350 | $71,880 | $79,870 |
| 311200 | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 2,180 | $63,440 | $72,420 | $77,580 |
| 337000 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 2,080 | $50,740 | $59,070 | $65,740 |
| 321900 | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 2,040 | $49,730 | $58,750 | $65,080 |
| 311300 | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 2,010 | $59,950 | $70,530 | $79,000 |
| 331200 | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 1,890 | $57,530 | $68,350 | $78,540 |
| 335200 | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 1,890 | $54,980 | $59,430 | $68,200 |
| 323000 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 1,750 | $52,000 | $61,880 | $73,130 |
| 323100 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 1,750 | $52,000 | $61,880 | $73,130 |
| 3370A1 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 1,720 | $50,740 | $58,220 | $64,810 |
| 321200 | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 1,640 | $57,950 | $65,520 | $77,080 |
| 314000 | Textile Product Mills | 1,630 | $47,390 | $57,610 | $62,400 |
| 311100 | Animal Food Manufacturing | 1,590 | $51,740 | $60,370 | $72,090 |
| 335300 | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 1,460 | $49,990 | $61,020 | $74,440 |
| 332800 | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 1,420 | $50,170 | $62,660 | $70,390 |
| 336600 | Ship and Boat Building | 1,380 | $55,490 | $64,620 | $70,480 |
| 339900 | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 1,380 | $50,750 | $62,360 | $73,110 |
| 314100 | Textile Furnishings Mills | 1,290 | $48,460 | $58,080 | $62,400 |
| 313100 | Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills | 1,220 | $42,630 | $48,360 | $56,050 |
| 333300 | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 1,140 | $53,380 | $65,670 | $81,250 |
| 336200 | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 870 | $51,610 | $62,250 | $69,350 |
| 332720 | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 690 | $58,790 | $62,870 | $71,950 |
| 315000 | Apparel Manufacturing | 660 | $39,700 | $42,550 | $51,790 |
| 311700 | Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 610 | $44,890 | $54,640 | $64,800 |
| 312200 | Tobacco Manufacturing | 590 | $58,520 | $73,170 | $78,470 |
| 334100 | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 520 | $66,070 | $79,970 | $85,690 |
| 315100 | Apparel Knitting Mills | 390 | $37,460 | $40,600 | $44,610 |
| 336900 | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 360 | $57,480 | $65,320 | $73,600 |
| 337900 | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 350 | $51,160 | $60,130 | $70,340 |
| 314900 | Other Textile Product Mills | 340 | $40,560 | $50,440 | $61,470 |
| 335100 | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 320 | $57,790 | $63,720 | $73,850 |
| 313300 | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | 300 | $48,300 | $58,760 | $67,920 |
| 336500 | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 290 | $44,910 | $47,520 | $59,040 |
| 316000 | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 210 | $41,050 | $57,390 | $61,830 |
| 315200 | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 200 | $42,380 | $45,880 | $62,340 |
| 316200 | Footwear Manufacturing | 180 | $45,070 | $58,680 | $65,210 |
| 334200 | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 100 | $46,720 | $47,430 | $69,280 |
| 315900 | Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing | 80 | $43,470 | $56,950 | $58,830 |
| 334600 | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | 50 | $54,060 | $59,570 | $61,250 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Packaging Operator, write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. OEWS includes base rate, guaranteed pay and production incentive pay. It excludes overtime premium, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. 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 the authority you are offering?
Settle packaging operation rather than maintenance ownership of the equipment before outreach begins. We put the difference around packaging operation rather than maintenance ownership of the equipment in front of you so the interview tests missing experience rather than assuming it is already there.
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 Packaging 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 Packaging Operator at a plant?
Packaging 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 Packaging Operator role is mapped to the Industrial Machinery Mechanics occupation. National employment for this category is 439640. The national median is $64520, with a medianChange of 760 from the May 2024 figure of $63760. The middleBandWidth is 23770, with a P25 of $55010 and a P75 of $78780.
Manufacturing Headhunters emphasizes that these figures reflect the broad SOC category and do not account for plant-specific packaging roles or non-cash perks. Because the BLS does not differentiate between packaging and mechanical repair, managers must use these figures with appropriate caution.
National industry medians include $94200 for Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing and $83790 for Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing. These values represent national averages by sector. Regional insights for Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX show 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. These metrics are occupation-wide and do not adjust for local industry variations or specific job duties.
Packaging operators often identify label discrepancies or pack issues before they leave the line. The BLS median of $64520 acts as an aggregate that mixes pure operators with skilled maintenance mechanics. The P90 of $95170 illustrates the compensation gap for advanced roles within this mechanic-based SOC code. With a middleBandWidth of 23770, it is clear that specialized technical skills create a wide pay range. Hiring managers should focus on the upper quartiles to attract talent capable of operating complex, high-speed lines, as the broad median may be insufficient for roles requiring advanced line troubleshooting rather than basic operation.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Why is the packaging operator role included in a mechanics category?
The BLS SOC system groups packaging line roles that involve machine interaction or maintenance into the Industrial Machinery Mechanics category. This results in all packaging operators being included in the 439640 employment count.
Are the higher medians in the Petroleum industry applicable to packaging operators?
They are national industry benchmarks for mechanics. While they suggest that petroleum manufacturing pays higher for that SOC code, they do not represent the median wage for a packaging operator.
What does the location quotient of 1.97 in Houston tell me about packaging pay?
The location quotient indicates a high density of Industrial Machinery Mechanic positions in the area. It does not indicate the current pay for packaging operators specifically.
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