Production · SOC 51-9111

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders Salary (2024) — Pay by Metro Area

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders earn a national median of $40,900 per year. Because pay tracks local labour markets, the same job ranges from $35,490 in the cheapest metro covered to $47,140 in the most expensive — a 33% gap for identical work. This page ranks 25 metro areas with released data.

US national median
$40,900
383,860 workers nationwide
Highest-paying metro
Chicago, IL
$42,110 median
Lowest-paying metro
Chicago, IL
$42,110 median
Metro spread
$11,650
between best and worst metro

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders pay by metro area

Ranked by median annual wage among the metro areas with published estimates for this occupation. Local cost of living is not applied — a lower median in a cheaper metro can still leave more in your pocket.

Median hourly and annual wage for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders by metro area, 2024. Hourly shown as annual ÷ 2,080.
Metro area Hourly Annual Employment
Chicago, IL — IL $20.25 $42,110 21,500
What the spread means

The gap between Chicago, IL ($42,110) and Chicago, IL ($42,110) is 0% . For packaging and filling machine operators and tenders this mainly reflects industry mix and regional price levels rather than a difference in the work itself. The middle metro sits at $40,840, which is the better single number for a "typical" market than either extreme.

Frequently asked questions

How much do packaging and filling machine operators and tenders make in the United States?

The national median for this occupation is $40,900 per year, across all areas including non-metropolitan ones. Metro-level medians for this occupation range from $35,490 to $47,140, with a middle value of $40,840.

Which metro area pays packaging and filling machine operators and tenders the most?

Chicago, IL pays the most among the metros covered, at a median of $42,110, with about 21,500 people employed in the occupation.

Which metro area pays packaging and filling machine operators and tenders the least?

Chicago, IL sits at the bottom of the range, with a median of $42,110.

Do packaging and filling machine operators and tenders earn more in large cities?

Usually, but not always. Large metros tend to show higher nominal pay because they concentrate high-wage industries and a higher cost of living. The spread above is nominal — it is not adjusted for local prices, so a lower median in a cheaper metro can still buy more.

About these figures

Method and limits

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024. The US figure on this page is an employment-weighted benchmark computed across the metro areas covered by this site, not the official national OEWS median, which BLS publishes separately. OEWS excludes self-employed workers and reports wages only, not benefits or total compensation.

See the methodology for how the benchmark and the metro ranking are derived.

Browse all occupations →