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Boston Career Explorer

Production

Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Set up, operate, or tend continuous flow or vat-type equipment; filter presses; shaker screens; centrifuges; condenser tubes; precipitating, fermenting, or evaporating tanks; scrubbing towers; or batch stills. These machines extract, sort, or separate liquids, gases, or solids from other materials to recover a refined product. Includes dairy processing equipment operators.

Also called: Blender, Brewer, Cellar Worker, Digester Cook, Machine Tender, Paper Machine Tender

Median pay in Greater Boston
$59,080
$28.40/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
760
Massachusetts 2024–2034
−9.0%
60 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
$44,220$49,030$59,080$64,150$83,750

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

What you’d do

  • Monitor material flow or instruments, such as temperature or pressure gauges, indicators, or meters, to ensure optimal processing conditions.
  • Inspect machines or equipment for hazards, operating efficiency, malfunctions, wear, or leaks.
  • Set up or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, or pressure.
  • Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory analysis.
  • Operate machines to process materials in compliance with applicable safety, energy, or environmental regulations.
  • Test samples to determine viscosity, acidity, specific gravity, or degree of concentration, using test equipment such as viscometers, pH meters, or hydrometers.

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.

Lower exposure18 of 100

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

  • AIOE 19
  • Language-model AIOE 16
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 20

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

AI exposure for this job is lower, and observed AI use is little or none. AI tools may help with watching gauges and meters and with adjusting settings. Inspecting machines, collecting samples, and keeping the work safe are hands-on tasks. Massachusetts is projected to lose 9.0% of these jobs by 2034, so building skills for a move may be wise.

Likely to change

  • Monitoring temperature, pressure, and material flow
  • Adjusting machine controls to set conditions

Still relies on people

  • Inspecting machines for wear and leaks
  • Collecting samples and following safety rules

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.

  • Industrial Machinery Mechanics

    Inspecting machines for wear and malfunctions carries over to repairing them. Boston median pay is $75,200, with 17.1% projected growth.

    Pay difference
    +$16,120 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +17.1%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Maintenance and Repair Workers, General

    Checking equipment and finding problems fits general maintenance work. It has moderate-term on-the-job training and 5.2% projected growth in Massachusetts.

    Pay difference
    +$590 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +5.2%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

    Knowing how liquids and gases move through equipment helps in pipefitting. It offers an apprenticeship, $96,760 median pay, and 6.5% projected growth.

    Pay difference
    +$37,680 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +6.5%
    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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