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The differences between packagers and packaging associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a packaging associate has an average salary of $31,519, 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 packaging associate are pallets, defective products, and basic math.
| Packager | Packaging Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $31,506 | $31,519 |
| Hourly rate | $15.15 | $15.15 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 3,674 | 40,179 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 49% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| 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.
Packaging associates are skilled employees who are responsible for wrapping material around consumer items. This serves to protect and clean products, making them marketable. These associates must perform maintenance on the packaging equipment to ensure that they are running efficiently with minimal downtime. They must inspect completed products for defects and abnormalities to satisfy their customers. Packaging associates must also communicate with technicians and supervisors to rectify problems and ensure that the products are with standards and following their customers' requirements.
Packagers and packaging associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Packager | Packaging Associate | |
| Average salary | $31,506 | $31,519 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $45,000 | Between $25,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Plymouth, MN | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Minnesota | Washington |
| Best paying company | McGuireWoods | PepsiCo |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a packager and a packaging associate in terms of educational background:
| Packager | Packaging Associate | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 49% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between packagers' and packaging associates' demographics:
| Packager | Packaging Associate | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.3% Female, 47.7% | Male, 57.9% Female, 42.1% |
| 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, 11.9% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 7.9% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |