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Packaging specialist salary
Average packaging specialist salary
$50,146
Understanding Packaging Specialist Salaries
As a packaging specialist, your salary can vary based on several factors. The average compensation for this role is $50,146 annually or about $24 per hour. Experience plays a crucial role; entry-level specialists may start at a lower rate, while seasoned professionals can command higher salaries. For instance, those with 5-10 years of experience typically earn more, reflecting their expertise and efficiency in the field.
Regional Salary Differences
Where you work significantly affects your earnings. States like California and New York often offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. In contrast, regions with lower living costs may provide lower average salaries. Understanding these dynamics can help you negotiate better pay and choose job locations wisely.
Job Opportunities for Packaging Specialists
Job prospects for packaging specialists remain strong, with opportunities across various industries, including food, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods. Employers are seeking individuals skilled in packaging processes, compliance, and product safety. Continuous learning and specialization in advanced packaging techniques can further enhance your career trajectory and salary potential.
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Where can a Packaging Specialist earn more?
Packaging specialist salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level packaging specialist | $38,100 | $18.31 |
| Mid-level packaging specialist | $48,600 | $23.38 |
| Senior-level packaging specialist | $59,100 | $28.40 |
Packaging specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average packaging specialist salary by state
The average packaging specialist salary in Hawaii, Pennsylvania, and California are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average packaging specialist salary states are Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Montana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for packaging specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $78,305 | $37.65 |
| 2 | North Carolina | $65,464 | $31.47 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $81,331 | $39.10 |
| 4 | Delaware | $66,588 | $32.01 |
| 5 | Maryland | $66,126 | $31.79 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $71,070 | $34.17 |
| 7 | New York | $68,452 | $32.91 |
| 8 | Nevada | $56,265 | $27.05 |
| 9 | California | $74,354 | $35.75 |
| 10 | Texas | $60,763 | $29.21 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $69,811 | $33.56 |
| 12 | South Carolina | $65,673 | $31.57 |
| 13 | Ohio | $52,088 | $25.04 |
| 14 | Arizona | $54,280 | $26.10 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $53,006 | $25.48 |
| 16 | Illinois | $60,522 | $29.10 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $59,299 | $28.51 |
| 18 | Georgia | $52,174 | $25.08 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $65,499 | $31.49 |
| 20 | Iowa | $46,092 | $22.16 |
| 21 | Oregon | $53,277 | $25.61 |
| 22 | Michigan | $49,650 | $23.87 |
| 23 | Virginia | $55,365 | $26.62 |
| 24 | Washington | $56,697 | $27.26 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $50,430 | $24.25 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $50,331 | $24.20 |
| 27 | Florida | $46,492 | $22.35 |
| 28 | Indiana | $47,022 | $22.61 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $46,488 | $22.35 |
| 30 | Idaho | $46,272 | $22.25 |
| 31 | Utah | $45,795 | $22.02 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $48,514 | $23.32 |
| 33 | Missouri | $45,834 | $22.04 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $45,267 | $21.76 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $46,801 | $22.50 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $45,286 | $21.77 |
| 37 | Kansas | $44,278 | $21.29 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $40,670 | $19.55 |
| 39 | Vermont | $39,901 | $19.18 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $44,467 | $21.38 |
| 41 | Maine | $41,652 | $20.02 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $37,500 | $18.03 |
| 43 | Alabama | $44,093 | $21.20 |
| 44 | Massachusetts | $47,011 | $22.60 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $33,680 | $16.19 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $39,775 | $19.12 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $42,915 | $20.63 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $25,327 | $12.18 |
| 49 | Colorado | $41,891 | $20.14 |
| 50 | Montana | $34,729 | $16.70 |
| 51 | Alaska | $30,156 | $14.50 |
Highest paying cities for packaging specialists
The highest-paying cities for packaging specialists are York, PA, San Jose, CA, and Jersey City, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | York, PA | $78,520 | $37.75 |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | $77,718 | $37.36 |
| 3 | Jersey City, NJ | $70,944 | $34.11 |
| 4 | Shelton, CT | $70,813 | $34.04 |
| 5 | White Plains, NY | $68,371 | $32.87 |
| 6 | Cary, NC | $66,360 | $31.90 |
| 7 | Houston, TX | $61,518 | $29.58 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $60,873 | $29.27 |
| 9 | Bend, OR | $53,188 | $25.57 |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA | $51,895 | $24.95 |
| 11 | Columbus, OH | $51,557 | $24.79 |
| 12 | Bowling Green, KY | $49,731 | $23.91 |
| 13 | Kalamazoo, MI | $48,150 | $23.15 |
| 14 | Milwaukee, WI | $47,048 | $22.62 |
| 15 | Saint Louis, MO | $46,910 | $22.55 |
| 16 | Saint Paul, MN | $46,858 | $22.53 |
| 17 | Deerfield Beach, FL | $46,497 | $22.35 |
| 18 | Evansville, IN | $45,565 | $21.91 |
| 19 | Salt Lake City, UT | $45,180 | $21.72 |
| 20 | Murfreesboro, TN | $44,733 | $21.51 |
Packaging specialist salary details
A packaging specialist's salary ranges from $26,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $94,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a packaging specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $94,000 | $7,833 | $45 |
| 75th Percentile | $69,000 | $5,750 | $33 |
| Average | $50,146 | $4,179 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
| 10th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
Highest paying packaging specialist jobs
The highest paying types of packaging specialists are specialist, relief operator, and b-operator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cell Operator | $37,866 | $3,155 | $18.20 | 66,532 |
| Relief Operator | $42,693 | $3,558 | $20.53 | 64,469 |
| Filler Operator | $37,729 | $3,144 | $18.14 | 65,876 |
| Lead Operator/Machine Operator | $39,819 | $3,318 | $19.14 | 162,376 |
| Handle Machine Operator | $29,598 | $2,467 | $14.23 | 110,258 |
| Line Operator | $34,520 | $2,877 | $16.60 | 137,127 |
Top companies hiring packaging specialists now:
Which companies pay packaging specialists the most?
Packaging specialist salaries at Zoetis and Pfizer are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average packaging specialist salary at companies like Los Alamos National Laboratory and Daisy Brand are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoetis | $100,477 | $48.31 |
| 2 | Pfizer | $92,513 | $44.48 |
| 3 | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $90,284 | $43.41 |
| 4 | Daisy Brand | $85,930 | $41.31 |
| 5 | IBM | $85,600 | $41.15 |
| 6 | Aequor Technologies | $85,299 | $41.01 |
| 7 | Florida Crystals | $84,253 | $40.51 |
| 8 | Larsen & Toubro Infotech Limited Inc | $78,518 | $37.75 |
| 9 | Teledyne Technologies Incorporated | $75,399 | $36.25 |
| 10 | Leviton | $71,757 | $34.50 |
| 11 | Perrigo | $68,493 | $32.93 |
| 12 | Atlas Copco Drilling Solutions LLC | $68,179 | $32.78 |
| 13 | Anheuser-Busch | $67,987 | $32.69 |
| 14 | Raytheon Technologies | $60,536 | $29.10 |
| 15 | Danaher | $55,693 | $26.78 |
| 16 | Pactiv | $51,716 | $24.86 |
| 17 | UGN | $51,424 | $24.72 |
| 18 | PharmaAssociatesInc | $51,201 | $24.62 |
| 19 | Tetra Pak | $50,666 | $24.36 |
| 20 | Revolution Brewing | $50,020 | $24.05 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Packaging Specialist salary by industry
The average packaging specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average packaging specialist salary in the pharmaceutical industry is $67,991, the highest of any industry.
- The average packaging specialist salary in the finance industry is $54,777.
- Packaging specialists in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $38,391, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for packaging specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmaceutical | $67,991 | $32.69 |
| 2 | Government | $54,777 | $26.34 |
| 3 | Transportation | $38,495 | $18.51 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $38,391 | $18.46 |
High paying packaging specialist jobs
Packaging specialist salary trends
The average packaging specialist salary has risen by $10,785 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average packaging specialist earned $39,361 annually, but today, they earn $50,146 a year. That works out to a 15% change in pay for packaging specialists over the last decade.
Compare packaging specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average packaging specialist salary over time
Compare packaging specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Packaging specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $50,100 | $24.11 | +5.1% |
| 2024 | $47,600 | $22.89 | +2.7% |
| 2023 | $46,300 | $22.28 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $45,100 | $21.68 | +3.6% |
| 2021 | $43,500 | $20.90 | +4.3% |
Recently added packaging specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Services | Packaging Specialist | Plover, WI | 06/28/2025 | $31,305 |
| Nestle International | Co-Packaging Specialist Job Details | Nestle Operational Services Worldwide SA | Saint Louis, MO | 06/28/2025 | $66,000 |
| Tata Consulting Services | Mortgage Package Closing Specialist | Cincinnati, OH | 06/27/2025 | $45,000 |
| Meraki | Cannabis Packaging Specialist | Portland, OR | 06/23/2025 | $35,479 |
| IFF | Packaging Specialist | Ione, OR | 06/22/2025 | $50,000 |
| International Flavors & Fragrances | Packaging Specialist | Ione, OR | 06/21/2025 | $50,000 |
| Verano Holdings | Packaging Specialist | Jessup, MD | 06/21/2025 | $35,479 |
| Hearst | Packaging Specialist-Night Shift | Fremont, CA | 06/19/2025 | $41,600 |
| Graham Packaging | Packaging Specialist (Night Shift) | Joplin, MO | 06/19/2025 | $38,296 |
| Graham Packaging Company | Packaging Specialist (Night Shift) | Joplin, MO | 06/19/2025 | $38,296 |
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