Also called: Food Production Operator, Line Operator
Runs the machines that cook, freeze, slice, mix and package foods like cereal, chips, frozen pizza and canned goods.
You run a line that makes 10,000 frozen pizzas an hour. You watch the sauce depositor and cheese spreader, adjust the oven temperature and pull samples to weigh. When a machine jams, you stop it safely and help clear it.
BLS May 2024 median for food processing equipment workers was about $40,050.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High school; on-the-job training.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). Food processing equipment workers overall.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. Food lines add robotic packing, vision checks and auto controls; fewer operators run more equipment.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply at food plants (snacks, frozen food, canned goods) or through a staffing agency; new hires are trained on the job
Classes: Culinary or ag-science class, Algebra.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-3093.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.