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Boston Career Explorer

Production

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders

Operate or tend machines to prepare industrial or consumer products for storage or shipment. Includes cannery workers who pack food products.

Also called: Bundler, Closing Machine Operator, Computer Numerical Control Machine Operator (CNC Machine Operator), Filler Operator, Machine Operator, Packaging Operator

Compare with my current job (Cooks, Short Order)
Median pay in Greater Boston
$44,390
$21.34/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
3,360
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+6.1%
730 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
$33,490$37,050$44,390$49,120$57,330

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

What you’d do

  • Attach identification labels to finished packaged items, or cut stencils and stencil information on containers, such as lot numbers or shipping destinations.
  • Sort, grade, weigh, and inspect products, verifying and adjusting product weight or measurement to meet specifications.
  • Stop or reset machines when malfunctions occur, clear machine jams, and report malfunctions to a supervisor.
  • Observe machine operations to ensure quality and conformity of filled or packaged products to standards.
  • Remove finished packaged items from machine and separate rejected items.
  • Monitor the production line, watching for problems such as pile-ups, jams, or glue that isn't sticking properly.

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 exposure17 of 100

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

  • AIOE 17
  • Language-model AIOE 17
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 18

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 and sensors may help with sorting, weighing, labeling, and checking product quality. Clearing jams, resetting machines, and handling finished items still rely on workers on the floor.

Likely to change

  • Sorting, weighing, and inspecting products
  • Tracking labels and quality checks

Still relies on people

  • Clearing machine jams and resetting machines
  • Handling packaged items and removing rejects

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.

  • Maintenance and Repair Workers, General

    Spotting machine problems and fixing jams carry over to routine maintenance and repair. This job pays a Boston median of $59,670.

    Pay difference
    +$15,280 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +5.2%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

    Watching machines and checking product quality carry over. This job involves setting controls and measuring products, with a higher median pay of $51,220.

    Pay difference
    +$6,830 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +3.9%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

    Inspecting products against standards carries over. This job pays a Boston median of $63,770, with moderate on-the-job training.

    Pay difference
    +$19,380 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +4.2%
    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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