Salary guide, May 2025
Packaging Technician pay in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL was $60,970 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $47,500 and $74,810.
The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL median is $3,550 below the national median of $64,520, both from BLS May 2025.
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 tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,740 | $47,500 | $60,970 | $74,810 | $87,620 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $19.59 | $22.84 | $29.31 | $35.97 | $42.13 |
BLS estimated 2,770 workers employed in this occupation in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. Location quotient: 0.68.
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 $60,970. The all-occupations median in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL is $48,940. Ratio: 1.25 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 0.68 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 | $49,180 | $60,580 | $74,500 |
| May 2025 | $47,500 | $60,970 | $74,810 |
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, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | $44,090 | $39,510 to $45,840 |
| Homosassa Springs, FL | $57,160 | $45,730 to $77,050 |
What does this data mean for your opening?
Manufacturing Headhunters evaluates Packaging Technician compensation within the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL area by referencing the broader SOC 49-9041 Industrial Machinery Mechanics occupational data. This role focus requires specialized familiarity with fillers, cappers, cartoners, case packers and palletizers along with changeover procedures for format parts.
Credentials like PMMI mechatronics certificates provide added value in professional hiring, although the BLS methodology captures aggregate mechanics and does not specifically segment technician-level duties. The local median of $60,970 sits lower than the national median of $64,520. Tampa shows a P25-P75 middle-band width of $27,310, which remains higher than the national band width of $23,770.
For Packaging Technician in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $60,970; the May 2024 median is $60,580. Their arithmetic difference is $390. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. National manufacturing industries, such as Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing at $94,200 and Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing at $83,790, provide context for the wider skill sets often compared against plant maintenance standards. For Packaging Technician in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, 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. The Tampa employment level of 2,770 indicates the current local demand profile within the broader mechanics category.
Comparing local data against designated occupational hubs shows varied profiles across Florida. The Wildwood-The Villages, FL area reports a lower median of $44,090 while the Homosassa Springs, FL area reports a median of $57,160. These figures are mapped to the same SOC 49-9041 definition as the Tampa primary data. The location quotient of 0.68 reflects the relative concentration of these positions within the Tampa economy. Plant-specific requirements like format part adjustments differ from broader machinery maintenance tasks, so hiring managers should reconcile these duties with the published broader occupational standards.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
The location quotient represents the concentration of employment for this occupational category within the Tampa metro area compared to the national average. It does not measure local pay levels or the immediate availability of qualified candidates for specific technician roles.
How do industrial sector wages compare to the broader Tampa median?
National averages for sectors like Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing reach $94,200, which is higher than the Tampa occupational median of $60,970. This reflects the broader range of mechanics skills and sector-specific pay scales tracked at the national level.
What does the location quotient of 0.68 signify for local hiring?
The location quotient represents the concentration of employment for this occupational category within the Tampa metro area compared to the national average. It does not measure local pay levels or the immediate availability of qualified candidates for specific technician roles.
Do these salary figures account for extra benefits?
For Packaging Technician in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, 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. These additional pay elements are common in manufacturing but are not captured in the reported annual salary data.
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