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Packaging technician salary
Average packaging technician salary
$35,973
Understanding Packaging Technician Salaries
The average salary for a packaging technician in the United States is $35,973 annually, translating to about $17 per hour. Salary can vary significantly based on factors including experience, location, and the specific industry in which one works. For example, technicians in California and New York typically earn more due to higher living costs and demand for skilled labor.
Entry-level packaging technicians usually start with lower salaries, while those with several years of experience can command higher wages. Additionally, specialized skills in certain manufacturing processes can enhance earning potential. The opportunity for advancement is promising, especially in industries focusing on automation and efficiency.
States with the Highest Salaries
States such as California, New York, and Texas offer some of the highest salaries for packaging technicians. It’s beneficial to research local job markets to identify the best opportunities. Overall, the packaging technician profession presents a viable career path for those interested in manufacturing and logistics, with numerous opportunities for growth.
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Where can a Packaging Technician earn more?
Packaging technician salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level packaging technician | $27,300 | $13.14 |
| Mid-level packaging technician | $34,900 | $16.77 |
| Senior-level packaging technician | $42,400 | $20.37 |
Packaging technician salary estimates from across the web
Average packaging technician salary by state
The average packaging technician salary in Minnesota, Kansas, and Hawaii are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average packaging technician salary states are New Mexico, West Virginia, and Louisiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for packaging technicians
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $43,787 | $21.05 |
| 2 | Iowa | $40,782 | $19.61 |
| 3 | Kentucky | $40,329 | $19.39 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | $38,560 | $18.54 |
| 5 | Kansas | $41,659 | $20.03 |
| 6 | Ohio | $39,158 | $18.83 |
| 7 | Maine | $38,234 | $18.38 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $37,569 | $18.06 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $37,817 | $18.18 |
| 10 | Missouri | $38,240 | $18.38 |
| 11 | Oregon | $40,116 | $19.29 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $38,798 | $18.65 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $39,400 | $18.94 |
| 14 | Idaho | $39,582 | $19.03 |
| 15 | Tennessee | $35,694 | $17.16 |
| 16 | Alaska | $38,690 | $18.60 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $37,051 | $17.81 |
| 18 | Illinois | $36,734 | $17.66 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $37,651 | $18.10 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $35,576 | $17.10 |
| 21 | Indiana | $34,247 | $16.46 |
| 22 | Montana | $37,040 | $17.81 |
| 23 | Utah | $34,774 | $16.72 |
| 24 | Delaware | $36,740 | $17.66 |
| 25 | Vermont | $35,405 | $17.02 |
| 26 | Nevada | $35,659 | $17.14 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $35,223 | $16.93 |
| 28 | Colorado | $36,832 | $17.71 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $41,322 | $19.87 |
| 30 | Georgia | $34,996 | $16.82 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $34,187 | $16.44 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $34,460 | $16.57 |
| 33 | Maryland | $36,652 | $17.62 |
| 34 | New Jersey | $35,456 | $17.05 |
| 35 | New York | $35,265 | $16.95 |
| 36 | California | $37,079 | $17.83 |
| 37 | Virginia | $36,109 | $17.36 |
| 38 | Washington | $36,614 | $17.60 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $34,233 | $16.46 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $33,643 | $16.17 |
| 41 | Texas | $34,323 | $16.50 |
| 42 | Michigan | $32,594 | $15.67 |
| 43 | District of Columbia | $36,031 | $17.32 |
| 44 | Arizona | $34,586 | $16.63 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $32,255 | $15.51 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $30,995 | $14.90 |
| 47 | Florida | $30,031 | $14.44 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $32,102 | $15.43 |
| 49 | Alabama | $28,488 | $13.70 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $30,823 | $14.82 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $23,436 | $11.27 |
Highest paying cities for packaging technicians
The highest-paying cities for packaging technicians are Moorhead, MN, Portland, OR, and Bowling Green, KY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moorhead, MN | $44,547 | $21.42 |
| 2 | Portland, OR | $40,229 | $19.34 |
| 3 | Bowling Green, KY | $39,888 | $19.18 |
| 4 | Tewksbury, MA | $39,452 | $18.97 |
| 5 | Kansas City, MO | $38,701 | $18.61 |
| 6 | Columbus, OH | $38,615 | $18.56 |
| 7 | Madison, WI | $38,441 | $18.48 |
| 8 | Allentown, PA | $38,256 | $18.39 |
| 9 | Mountain View, CA | $37,657 | $18.10 |
| 10 | Durham, NC | $37,639 | $18.10 |
| 11 | Mount Prospect, IL | $37,024 | $17.80 |
| 12 | Denver, CO | $36,818 | $17.70 |
| 13 | Baltimore, MD | $36,747 | $17.67 |
| 14 | Spokane, WA | $36,527 | $17.56 |
| 15 | Memphis, TN | $36,006 | $17.31 |
| 16 | Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ | $35,755 | $17.19 |
| 17 | Elkhart, IN | $35,563 | $17.10 |
| 18 | Danville, VA | $35,547 | $17.09 |
| 19 | Fargo, ND | $35,194 | $16.92 |
| 20 | Marietta, GA | $35,020 | $16.84 |
Packaging technician salary details
A packaging technician's salary ranges from $28,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $44,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a packaging technician's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| 75th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| Average | $35,973 | $2,998 | $17 |
| 25th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
| 10th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
Highest paying packaging technician jobs
The highest paying types of packaging technicians are relief operator, lead operator/machine operator, and machines technician.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filler Operator | $37,729 | $3,144 | $18.14 | 65,876 |
| Relief Operator | $42,693 | $3,558 | $20.53 | 64,469 |
| Production Operator | $35,185 | $2,932 | $16.92 | 117,254 |
| Pack Out Operator | $33,217 | $2,768 | $15.97 | 73,108 |
| Lead Operator/Machine Operator | $39,819 | $3,318 | $19.14 | 162,376 |
| Line Operator | $34,520 | $2,877 | $16.60 | 137,127 |
Top companies hiring packaging technicians now:
Which companies pay packaging technicians the most?
Packaging technician salaries at Dairy Farmers of America and fairlife are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average packaging technician salary at companies like Reckitt Benckiser and Pfizer are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dairy Farmers of America | $44,402 | $21.35 |
| 2 | fairlife | $43,313 | $20.82 |
| 3 | Reckitt Benckiser | $42,891 | $20.62 |
| 4 | Pfizer | $42,823 | $20.59 |
| 5 | Deloitte | $42,498 | $20.43 |
| 6 | Zoetis | $42,392 | $20.38 |
| 7 | $42,345 | $20.36 | |
| 8 | BD | $42,112 | $20.25 |
| 9 | American Crystal Sugar | $42,016 | $20.20 |
| 10 | Colgate-Palmolive | $41,984 | $20.18 |
| 11 | Fresh Express | $41,829 | $20.11 |
| 12 | FLIR Systems | $41,782 | $20.09 |
| 13 | DuPont | $41,670 | $20.03 |
| 14 | Shearer's Foods | $41,585 | $19.99 |
| 15 | Thermo Fisher Scientific | $41,394 | $19.90 |
| 16 | Mary's Gone Crackers | $40,864 | $19.65 |
| 17 | Novartis | $40,858 | $19.64 |
| 18 | AbbVie | $40,817 | $19.62 |
| 19 | Upsher-Smith Laboratories | $40,805 | $19.62 |
| 20 | Cargill | $40,792 | $19.61 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Packaging Technician salary by industry
The average packaging technician salary varies across industries:
- The average packaging technician salary in the pharmaceutical industry is $39,796, the highest of any industry.
- The average packaging technician salary in the finance industry is $39,615.
- Packaging technicians in the retail industry earn an average salary of $35,922, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for packaging technicians
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmaceutical | $39,796 | $19.13 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $39,615 | $19.05 |
| 3 | Finance | $39,007 | $18.75 |
| 4 | Health Care | $38,519 | $18.52 |
| 5 | Retail | $35,922 | $17.27 |
High paying packaging technician jobs
Packaging technician salary trends
The average packaging technician salary has risen by $7,737 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average packaging technician earned $28,236 annually, but today, they earn $35,973 a year. That works out to a 15% change in pay for packaging technicians over the last decade.
Compare packaging technician salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average packaging technician salary over time
Compare packaging technician salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Packaging technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $36,000 | $17.29 | +5.1% |
| 2024 | $34,200 | $16.42 | +2.7% |
| 2023 | $33,200 | $15.98 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $32,300 | $15.55 | +3.6% |
| 2021 | $31,200 | $14.99 | +4.3% |
Recently added packaging technician salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richardson Sales Performance | Packaging Technician | Memphis, TN | 06/30/2025 | $38,401 |
| Peet's Coffee | Packaging Technician | Brooklyn Center, MN | 06/29/2025 | $37,566 |
| Lifecore Biomedical Inc. | Packaging Technician-2Nd Shift | Chaska, MN | 06/29/2025 | $42,784 |
| Pharmacann | Packaging Technician | Dwight, IL | 06/29/2025 | $35,479 |
| Job Listingsfujifilm | Liquid Packaging Tech-2Nd Shift | Santa Ana, CA | 06/29/2025 | $41,010 |
| Agilent Technologies | Product Packaging Technician | North Kingstown, RI | 06/28/2025 | $43,347 |
| Greenkiss Staffing Solutions, Inc. | Packaging Tech II | Fall River, MA | 06/28/2025 | $42,784 |
| GSK | Packaging Technician | Hillsville, VA | 06/28/2025 | $39,705 |
| Fujifilm Holdings America | Liquid Packaging Tech-2Nd Shift | Santa Ana, CA | 06/27/2025 | $41,010 |
| HSM Solutions | Packaging Tech-1St. Shift | Hickory, NC | 06/27/2025 | $33,392 |
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