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Food packer salary
Average food packer salary
$13.58
Understanding Food Packer Salaries
The role of a food packer is essential in the food industry, with responsibilities that include assembling, packaging, and labeling food products. As of October 2025, the average salary stands at $28,254 per year, translating to about $14 per hour. Salaries can vary based on experience, location, and employer.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level food packers typically earn less than their more experienced counterparts. For instance, a novice in this role may start at around $25,000 annually, while those with several years of experience can earn upwards of $32,000.
Highest Paying States
- California - $30,000
- New York - $29,000
- Texas - $27,500
For those seeking higher salaries, exploring opportunities in states like California and New York can be beneficial. The demand for food packers is expected to grow, offering numerous job opportunities in various settings, from large food manufacturers to smaller, local businesses.
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Where can a Food Packer earn more?
Food packer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level food packer | $25,100 | $12.06 |
| Mid-level food packer | $29,700 | $14.27 |
| Senior-level food packer | $31,200 | $15.02 |
Food packer salary estimates from across the web
Average food packer salary by state
The average food packer salary in Washington, Minnesota, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average food packer salary states are Tennessee, Florida, and Alabama.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for food packers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | $32,114 | $15.44 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $34,261 | $16.47 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | $31,476 | $15.13 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $30,287 | $14.56 |
| 5 | Michigan | $31,073 | $14.94 |
| 6 | Montana | $32,584 | $15.67 |
| 7 | Wyoming | $32,541 | $15.64 |
| 8 | Maine | $32,933 | $15.83 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $32,223 | $15.49 |
| 10 | Washington | $34,264 | $16.47 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $32,938 | $15.84 |
| 12 | Alaska | $32,087 | $15.43 |
| 13 | Kentucky | $29,252 | $14.06 |
| 14 | New York | $34,254 | $16.47 |
| 15 | Indiana | $29,374 | $14.12 |
| 16 | Utah | $31,135 | $14.97 |
| 17 | Illinois | $30,910 | $14.86 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $31,644 | $15.21 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $29,392 | $14.13 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $28,536 | $13.72 |
| 21 | Maryland | $32,965 | $15.85 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $30,641 | $14.73 |
| 23 | Ohio | $28,379 | $13.64 |
| 24 | Vermont | $31,212 | $15.01 |
| 25 | Delaware | $30,206 | $14.52 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | $28,980 | $13.93 |
| 27 | Oregon | $31,404 | $15.10 |
| 28 | Nevada | $28,822 | $13.86 |
| 29 | New Hampshire | $30,906 | $14.86 |
| 30 | Colorado | $30,380 | $14.61 |
| 31 | Idaho | $30,426 | $14.63 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $28,389 | $13.65 |
| 33 | Kansas | $26,798 | $12.88 |
| 34 | Arizona | $26,684 | $12.83 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $25,612 | $12.31 |
| 36 | California | $29,839 | $14.35 |
| 37 | Missouri | $27,622 | $13.28 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $23,744 | $11.42 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $24,822 | $11.93 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $24,626 | $11.84 |
| 41 | Georgia | $25,522 | $12.27 |
| 42 | Virginia | $25,388 | $12.21 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $20,669 | $9.94 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $25,664 | $12.34 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $28,100 | $13.51 |
| 46 | Texas | $24,163 | $11.62 |
| 47 | Florida | $23,372 | $11.24 |
| 48 | District of Columbia | $25,889 | $12.45 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $22,035 | $10.59 |
| 50 | Alabama | $23,331 | $11.22 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $19,465 | $9.36 |
Highest paying cities for food packers
The highest-paying cities for food packers are New York, NY, Newark, NJ, and Cedar Rapids, IA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $34,166 | $16.43 |
| 2 | Newark, NJ | $32,437 | $15.59 |
| 3 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $32,372 | $15.56 |
| 4 | Green Bay, WI | $32,062 | $15.41 |
| 5 | Des Plaines, IL | $31,290 | $15.04 |
| 6 | Benicia, CA | $30,876 | $14.84 |
| 7 | Nampa, ID | $30,448 | $14.64 |
| 8 | Denver, CO | $30,371 | $14.60 |
| 9 | Euclid, OH | $29,695 | $14.28 |
| 10 | Indianapolis, IN | $28,963 | $13.92 |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ | $26,737 | $12.85 |
| 12 | Albuquerque, NM | $25,879 | $12.44 |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | $25,642 | $12.33 |
| 14 | Asheboro, NC | $24,913 | $11.98 |
| 15 | Fort Worth, TX | $24,391 | $11.73 |
| 16 | Memphis, TN | $23,638 | $11.36 |
| 17 | Birmingham, AL | $23,411 | $11.26 |
| 18 | Fort Myers, FL | $23,345 | $11.22 |
Food packer salary details
A food packer's salary ranges from $22,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $36,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a food packer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
| 75th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
| Average | $28,254 | $2,355 | $14 |
| 25th Percentile | $24,000 | $2,000 | $12 |
| 10th Percentile | $22,000 | $1,833 | $11 |
Highest paying food packer jobs
The highest paying types of food packers are grocery bagger, packing clerk, and jack.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wrapper | $34,424 | $2,869 | $16.55 | 1,173 |
| Bagger | $34,119 | $2,843 | $16.40 | 3,411 |
| Assembler/Packer | $28,115 | $2,343 | $13.52 | 35,106 |
| Case Picker/Temp | $33,549 | $2,796 | $16.13 | 75,374 |
| Packer/Shipper | $31,596 | $2,633 | $15.19 | 17,034 |
| Picker And Packer | $30,841 | $2,570 | $14.83 | 67,478 |
Top companies hiring food packers now:
Which companies pay food packers the most?
Food packer salaries at Ajinomoto and United Natural Foods are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average food packer salary at companies like AVI Foodsystems and IES are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ajinomoto | $32,740 | $15.74 |
| 2 | United Natural Foods | $31,214 | $15.01 |
| 3 | AVI Foodsystems | $30,161 | $14.50 |
| 4 | IES | $29,866 | $14.36 |
| 5 | Kelly Services | $29,834 | $14.34 |
| 6 | G A Foods | $29,762 | $14.31 |
| 7 | Great Work! Employment Services Co | $29,672 | $14.27 |
| 8 | ManpowerGroup | $29,650 | $14.25 |
| 9 | Caliper Family of Companies | $29,107 | $13.99 |
| 10 | Winona Foods | $29,024 | $13.95 |
| 11 | PeopleReady | $28,603 | $13.75 |
| 12 | Aerotek | $28,508 | $13.71 |
| 13 | Remedy Intelligent Staffing | $28,417 | $13.66 |
| 14 | Staffmark | $28,241 | $13.58 |
| 15 | Taher, Inc. Professional Food Service Management | $28,132 | $13.53 |
| 16 | Alternative Staffing | $28,059 | $13.49 |
| 17 | Good Eggs | $28,040 | $13.48 |
| 18 | Adecco | $28,037 | $13.48 |
| 19 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $27,807 | $13.37 |
| 20 | Rpc | $27,794 | $13.36 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Food packer salary trends
The average food packer salary has risen by $8,239 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average food packer earned $20,015 annually, but today, they earn $28,254 a year. That works out to a 27% change in pay for food packers over the last decade.
Compare food packer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average food packer salary over time
Compare food packer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Food packer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $28,300 | $13.58 | +7.6% |
| 2024 | $26,100 | $12.55 | +5.1% |
| 2023 | $24,800 | $11.90 | +4.7% |
| 2022 | $23,600 | $11.35 | +5.5% |
| 2021 | $22,300 | $10.72 | +5.1% |
Recently added food packer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shearer's Foods Inc. | Food Production Packer | Waterford, PA | 06/18/2025 | $33,183 |
| HW Staffing Solutions | Food Packer | Plymouth, MA | 06/17/2025 | $37,566 |
| Shearer's Foods | Snack Food Packer | Perham, MN | 06/09/2025 | $40,383 |
| National Star Services | Bilingual Food Packers | Des Plaines, IL | 05/25/2025 | $35,479 |
| Shearer's Foods | Food Production Packer | Waterford, PA | 05/16/2025 | $32,766 |
| Market 32 | Food Teammate | Clifton Park, NY | 05/06/2025 | $32,870 |
| Shearer's Foods | Snack Food Packer | Perham, MN | 04/28/2025 | $40,383 |
| Do & Co | Food Packer-Flight Checker-Food Packer | Redondo Beach, CA | 04/23/2025 | $43,326 |
| RPM Staffing Professionals | Food Production/Packer | Sulphur Springs, TX | 04/23/2025 | $31,305 |
| Compass Group, North America | Mammoth Mountain Food Expo Vulcania | Mammoth Lakes, CA | 04/12/2025 | $45,914 |
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