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The differences between packagers and pack machine operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pack machine operator has an average salary of $35,157, which is higher than the $31,506 average annual salary of a packager.
The top three skills for a packager include basic math, package product and work ethic. The most important skills for a pack machine operator are basic math, defective products, and team-oriented environment.
| Packager | Pack Machine Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $31,506 | $35,157 |
| Hourly rate | $15.15 | $16.90 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 3,674 | 68,876 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 49% | High School Diploma, 54% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Packagers are skilled employees who place completed products into containers and prepare them for shipment by weighing and labeling each package. As the final checkpoints between buyer and manufacturer, packagers must ensure that items are in proper working order as well as discard defective items according to company procedures. They must perform quality control and assist team leaders to verify that all quality standards of all products are being maintained. Packagers must also follow the occupational safety and health administration (OSHA) packing guidelines to ensure the safety of workers and the facility.
A pack machine operator is an employee who is responsible for operating and maintaining packaging machines to prepare industrial and consumer products for storage or shipment. Pack machine operators observe machine operations to ensure quality and conformity of filled or packaged products are up to standards. They monitor the production line to avoid problems such as pile-ups or jams while removing defective products and packaging material. Pack machine operators must also conduct maintenance of the packaging machines on a weekly to monthly basis.
Packagers and pack machine operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Packager | Pack Machine Operator | |
| Average salary | $31,506 | $35,157 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $45,000 | Between $28,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Plymouth, MN | Minneapolis, MN |
| Highest paying state | Minnesota | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | McGuireWoods | Reser's Fine Foods |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a packager and a pack machine operator in terms of educational background:
| Packager | Pack Machine Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 49% | High School Diploma, 54% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between packagers' and pack machine operators' demographics:
| Packager | Pack Machine Operator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.3% Female, 47.7% | Male, 53.6% Female, 46.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 7.5% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 7.4% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |