Salary guide, May 2025
Packaging Technician pay in Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
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The median annual wage for Industrial Machinery Mechanics in Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ was $75,260 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $59,970 and $92,480.
The Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ median is $10,740 above the national median of $64,520, both from BLS May 2025.
BLS publishes the wider New York-Newark-Jersey City metro, not Northern New Jersey separately.
Broader occupation · SOC 49-9041 Industrial Machinery Mechanics
Packaging Technician 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.
What should you know about northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $48,100 | $59,970 | $75,260 | $92,480 | $110,270 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $23.13 | $28.83 | $36.18 | $44.46 | $53.02 |
BLS estimated 10,780 workers employed in this occupation in Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ. Location quotient: 0.4.
What should you know about united States?
| 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 |
What should you know about role pay against all occupations here?
The published Packaging Technician median is $75,260. The all-occupations median in Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ is $61,430. Ratio: 1.23 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 0.4 measures how concentrated this occupation's employment is here against the nation. It is not a wage index.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $59,790 | $72,710 | $89,450 |
| May 2025 | $59,970 | $75,260 | $92,480 |
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.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 49-9041 Industrial Machinery Mechanics, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
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.
What should you know about nearby areas?
| Area | Median | 25th to 75th |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $74,750 | $58,500 to $94,290 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $78,410 | $62,760 to $85,080 |
What does this data mean for your opening?
Manufacturing Headhunters observes that the Northern New Jersey area is analyzed through the broader New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro reporting for SOC 49-9041 Industrial Machinery Mechanics. While the Northern New Jersey segment carries distinct operational needs, the BLS provides a comprehensive metro-level median of $75,260 for the combined area. This is significantly higher than the $64,520 national median.
The local middle-band width for the area is $32,510, indicating a broad range of wage outcomes for mechanical roles compared to the national band width of $23,770.
Median change in this region was $2,550 between May 2024 and May 2025. While national sectors such as Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing at $94,200 and Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing at $83,790 exist as broader reference points for highly skilled mechanics, these do not represent Northern New Jersey specifics. The mapping for packaging technicians is generalized within the mechanics SOC, which includes maintenance responsibilities that go beyond standard filler and case packer duties. BLS data remains limited to base compensation and excludes variable pay features.
Comparing to nearby regions, Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT, shows a median of $74,750, while Trenton-Princeton, NJ, shows a median of $78,410. The location quotient for the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro is 0.4. Because the SOC definition includes diverse machinery maintenance tasks, plant managers should carefully assess how their particular changeover and format part requirements align with the skills found in this broader mechanical occupation. The data confirms that wage levels in the Northern New Jersey vicinity generally trend higher than the national standard for mechanical maintenance technicians.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Why is this area reported within the broader New York metro data?
The BLS publishes data for the combined New York-Newark-Jersey City metro, and there is no separate publication for Northern New Jersey. Consequently, this data encompasses the entire regional market.
How does the local middle-band width affect wage planning?
The local middle-band width of $32,510 is larger than the national average, suggesting a wider variance in compensation. This is useful for planning base salary ranges in a competitive industrial maintenance market.
Is the job-specific context included in this wage analysis?
No, the wage data covers the SOC occupation as a whole. Job-specific factors like PMMI certification or specific equipment experience are not accounted for in these general BLS statistics.
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