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Boston Career Explorer

Production

Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Set up, operate, or tend machines to mix or blend materials, such as chemicals, tobacco, liquids, color pigments, or explosive ingredients.

Also called: Batchmaker, Blender, Blending Technician (Blending Tech), Ink Blender, Issuing Operator, Machine Operator

Median pay in Greater Boston
$59,270
$28.49/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
270
Massachusetts 2024–2034
−4.2%
40 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$48,450$59,270$65,870$77,320

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

What you’d do

  • Weigh or measure materials, ingredients, or products to ensure conformance to requirements.
  • Read work orders to determine production specifications or information.
  • Observe production or monitor equipment to ensure safe and efficient operation.
  • Mix or blend ingredients by starting machines and mixing for specified times.
  • Stop mixing or blending machines when specified product qualities are obtained and open valves and start pumps to transfer mixtures.
  • Compound or process ingredients or dyes, according to formulas.

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 exposure21 of 100

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

  • AIOE 23
  • Language-model AIOE 19
  • 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 could help with reading work orders, tracking measurements, and monitoring production. Running the machines, working valves and pumps, and keeping the work safe still depend on people. Federal projections say Massachusetts employment may decline 4.2% as automated processes need fewer manual tasks.

Likely to change

  • Reading work orders and production specifications
  • Weighing, measuring, and monitoring production

Still relies on people

  • Starting, stopping, and tending mixing machines
  • Opening valves and running pumps safely

What federal projections say

“Productivity change - share decreases as automated manufacturing processes require fewer manual tasks to be performed by these workers.”
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, factors affecting this job (U.S.)

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

    You already know how production machines run and when they act up. This job fixes them, pays $75,200, and is projected to grow 17.1%.

    Pay difference
    +$15,930 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +17.1%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Maintenance and Repair Workers, General

    Watching equipment to keep it running safely helps with testing machines and finding faults. It pays $59,670 and is projected to grow 5.2%.

    Pay difference
    +$400 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +5.2%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Medical Equipment Preparers

    Careful measuring and checking equipment and supplies against requirements carries over. It pays $60,840 and is projected to grow 8.8%.

    Pay difference
    +$1,570 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +8.8%
    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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