Production · Holland code RC

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders

Operate or tend machines to prepare industrial or consumer products for storage or shipment. Includes cannery workers who pack food products.

Also called: Bundler, Filler Operator, Machine Operator, Packaging Operator, Closing Machine Operator, Computer Numerical Control Machine Operator (CNC Machine Operator), Packing Attendant, Packing Machine Operator.

O*NET 51-9111.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $43,220; Middle half earn $36,850 to $49,070. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 80% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Attach identification labels to finished packaged items, or cut stencils and stencil information on containers, such as lot numbers or shipping destinations.
Sort, grade, weigh, and inspect products, verifying and adjusting product weight or measurement to meet specifications.
Stop or reset machines when malfunctions occur, clear machine jams, and report malfunctions to a supervisor.
Observe machine operations to ensure quality and conformity of filled or packaged products to standards.
Remove finished packaged items from machine and separate rejected items.
Monitor the production line, watching for problems such as pile-ups, jams, or glue that isn't sticking properly.
Inspect and remove defective products and packaging material.
Start machine by engaging controls.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Monitoring3.1 / 5
Active Listening3.0 / 5
Reading Comprehension2.9 / 5
Critical Thinking2.9 / 5
Speaking2.8 / 5
Writing2.6 / 5

Knowledge areas

Production and Processing3.8 / 5
Mechanical3.5 / 5
Public Safety and Security3.2 / 5
Education and Training3.2 / 5
English Language3.2 / 5
Customer and Personal Service3.1 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic94
Investigative6
Artistic0
Social0
Enterprising14
Conventional65

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

capsule filling machine operator · DE Kapselfüllmaschinenbediener/Kapselfüllmaschinenbedienerin · FR conducteur d’enrobage en industrie pharmaceutique/conductrice d’enrobage en industrie pharmaceutique
food production operator · DE Lebensmittelproduktionsmitarbeiter/Lebensmittelproduktionsmitarbeiterin · FR opérateur de fabrication de produits alimentaires/opératrice de fabrication de produits alimentaires
sauce production operator · DE Saucenmacher/Saucenmacherin · FR ouvrier de fabrication en condiments-sauces en industrie alimentaire/ouvrière de fabrication en condiments-sauces en industrie alimentaire
canning and bottling line operator · DE Dosen- und Flaschenabfüllanlagenbediener/Dosen- und Flaschenabfüllanlagenbedienerin · FR opérateur de chaîne de mise en conserve et en bouteille/opératrice de chaîne de mise en conserve et en bouteille
heat sealing machine operator · DE Heißsiegelmaschinenführer/Heißsiegelmaschinenführerin · FR opérateur de thermoscellage/opératrice de thermoscellage
leather goods packing operator · DE Lederwarenverpacker/Lederwarenverpackerin · FR opérateur de finition sur articles en cuir et autres matériaux souples/opératrice de finition sur articles en cuir et autres matériaux souples

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Food, drink and tobacco process operatives (8111)129,900 employed
Chemical and related process operatives (8113)34,100 employed
Packers, bottlers, canners and fillers (9132)62,500 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Plant and machine operators and assemblers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Plant and machine operators and assemblers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€39,630
Netherlands	€37,567
Austria	€37,304
Sweden	€36,005
Germany	€34,433
Ireland	€32,617
France	€28,550
Italy	€28,330
Spain	€24,409
Portugal	€11,309
Poland	€10,259

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -0.98. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (51-9111).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

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