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Packager salary
Average packager salary
$15.15
Understanding Packager Salaries
The average salary for a packager is reported at $31,506 per year, translating to approximately $15 per hour. This figure varies significantly based on factors such as experience, location, and industry. For instance, packagers with more years in the field can command higher salaries, with entry-level positions starting around $28,000 annually. Moreover, packagers in high-demand regions tend to earn more, reflecting local market conditions.
Where Can Packagers Earn More?
States like California and Texas offer some of the highest salaries for packagers, with average earnings exceeding $35,000 in certain metropolitan areas. Additionally, factors such as working for large companies or specific industries like pharmaceuticals can also lead to better pay. Understanding these dynamics is essential for anyone looking to enter or advance in this field.
Growth Opportunities
As a packager, there are various paths for career advancement, including roles in quality control and logistics management. By gaining additional certifications or skills, packagers can position themselves for higher-paying roles in the industry, significantly increasing their earning potential over time.
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Where can a Packager earn more?
Packager salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level packager | $23,900 | $11.50 |
| Mid-level packager | $30,500 | $14.69 |
| Senior-level packager | $37,100 | $17.84 |
Packager salary estimates from across the web
Average packager salary by state
The highest-paying states for packagers are Minnesota, Washington, and Oregon. The lowest average packager salary states are North Carolina, Arkansas, and Florida.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for packagers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $38,014 | $18.28 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | $35,280 | $16.96 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $35,606 | $17.12 |
| 4 | Idaho | $35,445 | $17.04 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $35,339 | $16.99 |
| 6 | Vermont | $33,295 | $16.01 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $33,597 | $16.15 |
| 8 | Illinois | $33,674 | $16.19 |
| 9 | Washington | $37,657 | $18.10 |
| 10 | Ohio | $31,130 | $14.97 |
| 11 | Oregon | $35,773 | $17.20 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $34,468 | $16.57 |
| 13 | Maine | $35,615 | $17.12 |
| 14 | Michigan | $31,736 | $15.26 |
| 15 | West Virginia | $32,099 | $15.43 |
| 16 | Nevada | $32,651 | $15.70 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $32,920 | $15.83 |
| 18 | Utah | $30,838 | $14.83 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $34,666 | $16.67 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $29,996 | $14.42 |
| 21 | California | $33,432 | $16.07 |
| 22 | Maryland | $34,352 | $16.52 |
| 23 | Kansas | $29,378 | $14.12 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $33,831 | $16.26 |
| 25 | Indiana | $29,655 | $14.26 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $32,058 | $15.41 |
| 27 | Iowa | $29,546 | $14.20 |
| 28 | Alaska | $35,172 | $16.91 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $28,830 | $13.86 |
| 30 | Missouri | $29,590 | $14.23 |
| 31 | Delaware | $31,742 | $15.26 |
| 32 | Colorado | $31,567 | $15.18 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $34,356 | $16.52 |
| 34 | Arizona | $30,658 | $14.74 |
| 35 | New York | $31,300 | $15.05 |
| 36 | Montana | $28,429 | $13.67 |
| 37 | Texas | $26,256 | $12.62 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $25,259 | $12.14 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $25,831 | $12.42 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $25,484 | $12.25 |
| 41 | Georgia | $26,441 | $12.71 |
| 42 | District of Columbia | $30,531 | $14.68 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $24,571 | $11.81 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $26,052 | $12.53 |
| 45 | Virginia | $29,073 | $13.98 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $25,028 | $12.03 |
| 47 | North Carolina | $24,597 | $11.83 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $23,341 | $11.22 |
| 49 | Florida | $23,602 | $11.35 |
| 50 | Alabama | $21,674 | $10.42 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $19,503 | $9.38 |
Highest paying cities for packagers
The highest-paying cities for packagers are Plymouth, MN, Seattle, WA, and Green Bay, WI.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plymouth, MN | $38,016 | $18.28 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $37,705 | $18.13 |
| 3 | Green Bay, WI | $36,451 | $17.52 |
| 4 | Portland, OR | $35,862 | $17.24 |
| 5 | Portland, ME | $35,667 | $17.15 |
| 6 | Sacramento, CA | $34,588 | $16.63 |
| 7 | Easton, PA | $34,137 | $16.41 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $33,999 | $16.35 |
| 9 | Boston, MA | $33,847 | $16.27 |
| 10 | Concord, NH | $32,984 | $15.86 |
| 11 | Elkhart, IN | $31,991 | $15.38 |
| 12 | Denver, CO | $31,595 | $15.19 |
| 13 | Ogden, UT | $31,140 | $14.97 |
| 14 | Columbus, OH | $30,382 | $14.61 |
| 15 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $29,987 | $14.42 |
| 16 | Lenexa, KS | $29,401 | $14.14 |
| 17 | Saint Louis, MO | $29,399 | $14.13 |
| 18 | Omaha, NE | $28,894 | $13.89 |
| 19 | Austin, TX | $26,333 | $12.66 |
| 20 | Cleveland, TN | $25,215 | $12.12 |
Packager salary details
A packager's salary ranges from $21,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $45,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a packager's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
| 75th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
| Average | $31,506 | $2,626 | $15 |
| 25th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
| 10th Percentile | $21,000 | $1,750 | $10 |
Highest paying packager jobs
The highest paying types of packagers are packaging specialist, relief operator, and b-operator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relief Operator | $42,693 | $3,558 | $20.53 | 64,469 |
| Filler Operator | $37,729 | $3,144 | $18.14 | 65,876 |
| Line Operator | $34,520 | $2,877 | $16.60 | 137,127 |
| Cell Operator | $37,866 | $3,155 | $18.20 | 66,532 |
| Lead Operator/Machine Operator | $39,819 | $3,318 | $19.14 | 162,376 |
| Medical Assembler | $31,681 | $2,640 | $15.23 | 61,889 |
Top companies hiring packagers now:
Which companies pay packagers the most?
Packager salaries at McGuireWoods and Steel Dynamics are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average packager salary at companies like Bonneville International and Metals USA are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McGuireWoods | $43,705 | $21.01 |
| 2 | Steel Dynamics | $42,228 | $20.30 |
| 3 | Bonneville International | $42,143 | $20.26 |
| 4 | Metals USA | $42,072 | $20.23 |
| 5 | Agilent Technologies | $41,749 | $20.07 |
| 6 | Dairy Farmers of America | $40,533 | $19.49 |
| 7 | Lincoln Industries | $39,859 | $19.16 |
| 8 | Mars | $39,429 | $18.96 |
| 9 | IBM | $39,144 | $18.82 |
| 10 | Rich Products | $39,020 | $18.76 |
| 11 | Sriven Systems | $38,606 | $18.56 |
| 12 | Church & Dwight Co. | $38,036 | $18.29 |
| 13 | GCP Applied Technologies | $37,972 | $18.26 |
| 14 | Post Holdings | $36,865 | $17.72 |
| 15 | Momar | $36,692 | $17.64 |
| 16 | TreeHouse Foods | $36,053 | $17.33 |
| 17 | Vista Outdoor | $35,893 | $17.26 |
| 18 | Flowers Foods | $35,865 | $17.24 |
| 19 | Lynden Door | $35,862 | $17.24 |
| 20 | Medline | $35,837 | $17.23 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Packager salary by industry
The average packager salary varies across industries:
- The average packager salary in the technology industry is $33,504, the highest of any industry.
- The average packager salary in the finance industry is $33,233.
- Packagers in the retail industry earn an average salary of $29,188, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for packagers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $33,504 | $16.11 |
| 2 | Transportation | $33,233 | $15.98 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $32,745 | $15.74 |
| 4 | Professional | $31,346 | $15.07 |
| 5 | Retail | $29,188 | $14.03 |
High paying packager jobs
Packager salary trends
The average packager salary has risen by $6,776 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average packager earned $24,730 annually, but today, they earn $31,506 a year. That works out to a 15% change in pay for packagers over the last decade.
Compare packager salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average packager salary over time
Compare packager salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Packager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $31,500 | $15.15 | +5.1% |
| 2024 | $29,900 | $14.38 | +2.7% |
| 2023 | $29,100 | $14.00 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $28,300 | $13.62 | +3.6% |
| 2021 | $27,300 | $13.13 | +4.3% |
Recently added packager salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lactalis | Whey Packaging | Tulare, CA | 06/30/2025 | $56,286 |
| Fastenal | Packaging | Winona, MN | 06/28/2025 | $31,305 |
| Aerotek | Packager | Pleasant Prairie, WI | 06/28/2025 | $45,914 |
| Arauco | CPB Packageline | Cope, SC | 06/28/2025 | $42,011 |
| Staffmark Group | Packager | Malvern, AR | 06/28/2025 | $31,305 |
| Trident Seafoods | Packager 2Nd Shift | Motley, MN | 06/28/2025 | $42,470 |
| Grand Central Bakery | Bread Packager (Expeditor) | Portland, OR | 06/28/2025 | $40,863 |
| Steel Technologies | Packager-2Nd Shift | Greensburg, IN | 06/28/2025 | $37,044 |
| Slingshot Connections | Packager | San Carlos, CA | 06/28/2025 | $39,653 |
| ADM | Packager II | Hiawatha, KS | 06/27/2025 | $37,566 |
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