Also called: Production Worker, Machine Helper, General Laborer
Assists machine operators and assemblers by feeding materials, cleaning, packing and doing simple tasks.
You help load parts into a machine, stack finished products on pallets, sweep up scrap and learn how each machine works. Showing up reliably here often leads to an operator job within months.
No formal education, about 0 years after high school. No degree required; trained on the job.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Shrinking (about -2% over 10 years). BLS projects a small decline as plants automate simple tasks.
High risk for 10 years. Simple feeding, packing and cleaning tasks are prime targets for robots and cobots.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply at local factories or through a staffing agency; new hires are trained on the job
Classes: Shop class, Manufacturing CTE.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-9198.
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.