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The average salary for a Pack Machine Operator in the United States is $35,157 per year. This translates to approximately $17 per hour, making it a viable career for individuals entering the manufacturing sector. Salaries can fluctuate based on several factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry segment.
Pack Machine Operators in states like California and Texas often see higher salaries due to the demand for skilled labor in manufacturing hubs. For instance, cities such as Los Angeles and Houston have reported salaries that exceed the national average, offering opportunities for those looking to maximize their earnings.
Experience plays a significant role in determining salary levels. Entry-level operators may start at lower wages, but with experience, the potential to earn higher salaries increases significantly. Many operators can advance to supervisory roles, further enhancing their earning capacity.
For those interested in pursuing a career as a Pack Machine Operator, job openings are plentiful across various industries, including food production, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods. As the demand for packaged products continues to rise, so do the opportunities for skilled operators.
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| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level pack machine operator | $26,700 | $12.84 |
| Mid-level pack machine operator | $34,100 | $16.39 |
| Senior-level pack machine operator | $41,400 | $19.91 |
The highest-paying states for pack machine operators are North Dakota, Minnesota, and Washington. The lowest average pack machine operator salary states are Mississippi, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $40,182 | $19.32 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | $37,735 | $18.14 |
| 3 | Indiana | $37,273 | $17.92 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $37,565 | $18.06 |
| 5 | Maine | $38,348 | $18.44 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $41,545 | $19.97 |
| 7 | Ohio | $35,578 | $17.10 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $36,290 | $17.45 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $35,533 | $17.08 |
| 10 | Illinois | $36,539 | $17.57 |
| 11 | Nevada | $36,518 | $17.56 |
| 12 | Iowa | $34,666 | $16.67 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $35,443 | $17.04 |
| 14 | Alaska | $36,033 | $17.32 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $34,582 | $16.63 |
| 16 | New Jersey | $35,979 | $17.30 |
| 17 | Washington | $38,602 | $18.56 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $34,825 | $16.74 |
| 19 | Oregon | $36,110 | $17.36 |
| 20 | Hawaii | $36,733 | $17.66 |
| 21 | Kansas | $34,940 | $16.80 |
| 22 | Delaware | $35,986 | $17.30 |
| 23 | Arizona | $35,458 | $17.05 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $35,472 | $17.05 |
| 25 | Idaho | $34,980 | $16.82 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $33,963 | $16.33 |
| 27 | Michigan | $33,817 | $16.26 |
| 28 | Colorado | $35,938 | $17.28 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $33,606 | $16.16 |
| 30 | Missouri | $33,684 | $16.19 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $33,877 | $16.29 |
| 32 | California | $36,271 | $17.44 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $32,808 | $15.77 |
| 34 | Maryland | $35,433 | $17.04 |
| 35 | Vermont | $33,678 | $16.19 |
| 36 | Utah | $32,908 | $15.82 |
| 37 | Connecticut | $34,738 | $16.70 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $29,989 | $14.42 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $31,518 | $15.15 |
| 40 | Georgia | $31,970 | $15.37 |
| 41 | Alabama | $31,035 | $14.92 |
| 42 | Florida | $32,809 | $15.77 |
| 43 | New York | $33,327 | $16.02 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $30,901 | $14.86 |
| 45 | Texas | $31,497 | $15.14 |
| 46 | Montana | $32,543 | $15.65 |
| 47 | Virginia | $32,288 | $15.52 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $30,266 | $14.55 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $30,108 | $14.47 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $29,300 | $14.09 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $21,888 | $10.52 |
The highest-paying cities for pack machine operators are Minneapolis, MN, Seattle, WA, and Milwaukee, WI.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis, MN | $40,202 | $19.33 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $38,643 | $18.58 |
| 3 | Milwaukee, WI | $37,686 | $18.12 |
| 4 | Waukegan, IL | $36,992 | $17.78 |
| 5 | Franklin, IN | $36,752 | $17.67 |
| 6 | Lorain, OH | $36,368 | $17.48 |
| 7 | Corvallis, OR | $36,101 | $17.36 |
| 8 | Denver, CO | $35,980 | $17.30 |
| 9 | Phoenix, AZ | $35,501 | $17.07 |
| 10 | Mason City, IA | $35,291 | $16.97 |
| 11 | Rochester, NY | $34,057 | $16.37 |
| 12 | Kansas City, MO | $33,893 | $16.29 |
| 13 | Lincoln, NE | $33,842 | $16.27 |
| 14 | Ogden, UT | $33,019 | $15.87 |
| 15 | Huntersville, NC | $32,804 | $15.77 |
| 16 | Atlanta, GA | $32,037 | $15.40 |
| 17 | Dallas, TX | $31,371 | $15.08 |
| 18 | Birmingham, AL | $31,077 | $14.94 |
| 19 | Oklahoma City, OK | $30,253 | $14.54 |
| 20 | Morristown, TN | $29,880 | $14.37 |
A pack machine operator's salary ranges from $28,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $43,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
| 75th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
| Average | $35,157 | $2,930 | $17 |
| 25th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
| 10th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
The highest paying types of pack machine operators are relief operator, cell operator, and press machine operator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machine Operator/Forklift Operator | $32,452 | $2,704 | $15.60 | 120,073 |
| Cell Operator | $37,866 | $3,155 | $18.20 | 66,532 |
| Manufacturing Operator | $34,457 | $2,871 | $16.57 | 97,656 |
| Relief Operator | $42,693 | $3,558 | $20.53 | 64,469 |
| Filler Operator | $37,729 | $3,144 | $18.14 | 65,876 |
| Molder Operator | $31,707 | $2,642 | $15.24 | 66,217 |
Top companies hiring pack machine operators now:
Pack machine operator salaries at Reser's Fine Foods and Nation Pizza are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average pack machine operator salary at companies like Nestlé and Fresh Express are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reser's Fine Foods | $48,980 | $23.55 |
| 2 | Nation Pizza | $47,888 | $23.02 |
| 3 | Nestlé | $47,194 | $22.69 |
| 4 | Fresh Express | $46,329 | $22.27 |
| 5 | Blue Diamond Growers | $44,923 | $21.60 |
| 6 | Hearthside Food Solutions | $44,532 | $21.41 |
| 7 | Schreiber Foods | $43,685 | $21.00 |
| 8 | Foster Farms | $43,668 | $20.99 |
| 9 | Mars | $43,390 | $20.86 |
| 10 | Highliner Food Svc | $43,164 | $20.75 |
| 11 | PepsiCo | $43,125 | $20.73 |
| 12 | Reckitt Benckiser | $42,581 | $20.47 |
| 13 | The Clorox Company | $42,516 | $20.44 |
| 14 | Shearer's Foods | $42,447 | $20.41 |
| 15 | B&G Foods | $42,443 | $20.41 |
| 16 | General Mills | $42,343 | $20.36 |
| 17 | Amcor | $42,040 | $20.21 |
| 18 | Abbott | $41,857 | $20.12 |
| 19 | Alere | $41,718 | $20.06 |
| 20 | The Manitowoc Company | $41,576 | $19.99 |
The average pack machine operator salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $39,255 | $18.87 |
| 2 | Transportation | $37,800 | $18.17 |
| 3 | Retail | $36,423 | $17.51 |
| 4 | Professional | $34,969 | $16.81 |
The average pack machine operator salary has risen by $7,561 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average pack machine operator earned $27,596 annually, but today, they earn $35,157 a year. That works out to a 15% change in pay for pack machine operators over the last decade.
Compare pack machine operator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare pack machine operator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $35,200 | $16.90 | +5.1% |
| 2024 | $33,400 | $16.05 | +2.7% |
| 2023 | $32,500 | $15.62 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $31,600 | $15.20 | +3.6% |
| 2021 | $30,500 | $14.65 | +4.3% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Cooper Companies | Packaging Machine Operator (D-Nights) | Fine, NY | 06/29/2025 | $41,740 |
| Schreiber Foods | Packaging Machine Operator | West Bend, WI | 06/29/2025 | $75,000 |
| Bolthouse Farms Inc. | Packaging Machine Operator-Wa-Cut and Peel 2Nd Shift | Prosser, WA | 06/29/2025 | $39,173 |
| Scusa Saputo Cheese USA | Packaging Machine Operator-Food Manufacturing (DAY Shift) | Frederick, MD | 06/28/2025 | $47,145 |
| Tyson Foods | Machine OPR Pr03 Mini Pack 1St. Shift Haltom City TX | Haltom City, TX | 06/27/2025 | $40,592 |
| Saputo | Packaging Machine Operator-Food Manufacturing (DAY Shift) | Frederick, MD | 06/27/2025 | $47,145 |
| Schwan's Company | Machine Operator I Line 2-Packaging | Erie, PA | 06/27/2025 | $37,566 |
| Kelly Services | Packaging Machine Operators | Fort Mill, SC | 06/26/2025 | $37,566 |
| Shearer | Packaging Machine Operator | Bristol, VA | 06/26/2025 | $40,258 |
| Hormel Foods Corp | CFI-Packaging General Labor 1St. Shift | Sparta, WI | 06/25/2025 | $40,905 |
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