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Boston Career Explorer

Production

Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders

Operate or tend bonding machines that use adhesives to join items for further processing or to form a completed product. Processes include joining veneer sheets into plywood; gluing paper; or joining rubber and rubberized fabric parts, plastic, simulated leather, or other materials.

Also called: Coater Operator, Glue Line Operator, Glue Reel Operator, Gluer Machine Operator, Gluing Pressman, Machine Operator

Median pay in Greater Boston
$44,570
$21.43/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
40
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+5.4%
30 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
$38,870$39,410$44,570$49,120$56,240

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

What you’d do

  • Align and position materials being joined to ensure accurate application of adhesive or heat sealing.
  • Adjust machine components according to specifications such as widths, lengths, and thickness of materials and amounts of glue, cement, or adhesive required.
  • Monitor machine operations to detect malfunctions and report or resolve problems.
  • Start machines, and turn valves or move controls to feed, admit, apply, or transfer materials and adhesives, and to adjust temperature, pressure, and time settings.
  • Fill machines with glue, cement, or adhesives.
  • Perform test production runs and make adjustments as necessary to ensure that completed products meet standards and specifications.

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 exposure6 of 100

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

  • AIOE 7
  • Language-model AIOE 7
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 3

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 a little with watching machine settings and spotting problems. They do not position materials, load adhesives, or handle the hands-on work at the machine. Massachusetts job numbers are projected to grow 5.4% from 2024 to 2034.

Likely to change

  • Monitoring machines for malfunctions
  • Tracking temperature, pressure, and time settings

Still relies on people

  • Aligning and positioning materials by hand
  • Filling machines with glue and adhesives

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.

  • Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

    Setting up and tending production machines carries over to coating and spraying machines. It pays $54,560 with moderate-term on-the-job training.

    Pay difference
    +$9,990 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +3.4%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers

    Your experience with machines and spotting problems carries over to helping repair equipment. It is a path into repair trades, with short-term training.

    Pay difference
    +$1,190 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +4.9%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Construction Laborers

    Working with powered equipment and keeping machinery running carries over to construction. It pays $63,420 and needs no formal credential.

    Pay difference
    +$18,850 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +9.5%
    To get started
    No formal educational credential

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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