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Boston Career Explorer

Production

Food Batchmakers

Set up and operate equipment that mixes or blends ingredients used in the manufacturing of food products. Includes candy makers and cheese makers.

Also called: Batching Operator, Blender, Brewing Technician, Compounder, Dosier Operator, Dough Scaler

Median pay in Greater Boston
$37,010
$17.79/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
3,840
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+7.5%
810 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
High school diploma or equivalent
plus Moderate-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$31,200$35,830$37,010$43,940$50,000

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Record production and test data for each food product batch, such as the ingredients used, temperature, test results, and time cycle.
  • Clean and sterilize vats and factory processing areas.
  • Set up, operate, and tend equipment that cooks, mixes, blends, or processes ingredients in the manufacturing of food products, according to formulas or recipes.
  • Mix or blend ingredients, according to recipes, using a paddle or an agitator, or by controlling vats that heat and mix ingredients.
  • Follow recipes to produce food products of specified flavor, texture, clarity, bouquet, or color.
  • Give directions to other workers who are assisting in the batchmaking process.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Moderate exposure34 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 36
  • Language-model AIOE 34
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 32

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for food batchmakers is moderate, but observed AI use is little or none so far. Software could help with record-keeping, such as logging ingredients, temperatures, and test results for each batch. Mixing, running vats, cleaning equipment, and judging flavor, texture, and color are hands-on tasks that AI tools do not do.

Likely to change

  • Recording batch and test data
  • Following recipes and formula settings

Still relies on people

  • Cleaning and sterilizing vats and work areas
  • Judging flavor, texture, and color by sight and taste

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

    You already set temperatures and ingredient flow on mixing equipment. This job uses similar machine adjustments, with a higher Boston median pay of $47,730.

    Pay difference
    +$10,720 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +2.9%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders

    Weighing, inspecting, and checking products against specifications carry over. It pays a Boston median of $44,390 and has 6.1% projected Massachusetts growth.

    Pay difference
    +$7,380 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +6.1%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Industrial Machinery Mechanics

    Knowing how processing equipment runs gives you a head start on repairing it. It needs long-term training but pays $75,200 and has 17.1% projected growth.

    Pay difference
    +$38,190 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +17.1%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.

Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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