Machine Feeders and Offbearers: Career Overview
Feed materials into or remove materials from machines or equipment that is automatic or tended by other workers.
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What Do Machine Feeders and Offbearers Perform?
Typical responsibilities of machine feeders and offbearers cover:
- Inspect materials and products for defects, and to ensure conformance to specifications.
- Record production and operational data, such as amount of materials processed.
- Push dual control buttons and move controls to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment.
- Weigh or measure materials or products to ensure conformance to specifications.
- Identify and mark materials, products, and samples, following instructions.
- Clean and maintain machinery, equipment, and work areas to ensure proper functioning and safe working conditions.
- Load materials and products into machines and equipment, or onto conveyors, using hand tools and moving devices.
- Transfer materials and products to and from machinery and equipment, using industrial trucks or hand trucks.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful machine feeders and offbearers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Machine Feeders and Offbearers Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Acid Dumper
- Archery Equipment Hay Sorter
- Assembly Machine Operator
- Automatic Glove Turner and Former
- Automatic Nail Polish Brush Machine Feeder
- Automatic Nailing Machine Feeder
- Automatic Spooler Operator
- Automatic Stacker
How Many Machine Feeders and Offbearers Are There?
The U.S. employs around 1,008,982 machine feeders and offbearers working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +5.0% over the projection horizon.
Machine Feeders and Offbearers Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $59,472 |
| Hourly median | $28.59 |
| 10th percentile | $33,954 |
| 25th percentile | $46,713 |
| 75th percentile | $72,231 |
| 90th percentile | $84,990 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Louisiana | $50,510 |
| New York | $50,490 |
| Minnesota | $49,630 |
| Kansas | $49,430 |
| Wisconsin | $47,470 |
| Missouri | $47,470 |
| Oregon | $45,590 |
| Maryland | $45,340 |
| Idaho | $45,130 |
| New Hampshire | $45,110 |
| Pennsylvania | $44,090 |
| Washington | $43,810 |
| Iowa | $43,280 |
| Delaware | $43,170 |
| New Jersey | $42,930 |
| Ohio | $42,910 |
| Maine | $42,120 |
| Massachusetts | $40,630 |
| Michigan | $39,870 |
| Arizona | $39,870 |
| Georgia | $39,550 |
| Nevada | $39,470 |
| Utah | $39,440 |
| Kentucky | $39,420 |
| Texas | $39,310 |
| California | $38,960 |
| Mississippi | $38,420 |
| Arkansas | $38,340 |
| Nebraska | $38,250 |
| South Dakota | $38,240 |
| Colorado | $38,020 |
| Florida | $37,700 |
| Indiana | $37,650 |
| Alabama | $37,070 |
| Vermont | $36,860 |
| Tennessee | $36,660 |
| South Carolina | $36,580 |
| Virginia | $36,450 |
| Connecticut | $36,280 |
| North Carolina | $36,120 |
| Oklahoma | $35,690 |
| Rhode Island | $30,790 |
| West Virginia | $29,820 |
| Puerto Rico | $20,890 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for machine feeders and offbearers vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $46,189 | 7.9% | 0.56 |
| Plains States | $44,582 | 7.9% | 1.98 |
| Far Western US | $40,981 | 23.7% | 1.84 |
| Great Lakes | $40,703 | 18.3% | 2.53 |
| New England | $39,818 | 2.0% | 0.86 |
| Rocky Mountains | $39,457 | 2.0% | 0.60 |
| Southwest | $39,060 | 8.9% | 0.79 |
| Southeast | $37,543 | 29.3% | 1.80 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO-KS | MO | $71,910 | 410 |
| Columbus, OH | OH | $59,320 | 640 |
| Visalia, CA | CA | $55,680 | 160 |
| Lancaster, PA | PA | $53,930 | 120 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | MD | $53,670 | 40 |
| Williamsport, PA | PA | $53,020 | 50 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | MN | $52,220 | 210 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | NY | $51,520 | 50 |
Top Industries Employing Machine Feeders and Offbearers
Most machine feeders and offbearers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 31,470 | $39,310 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 9,100 | $48,410 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2,670 | $36,400 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1,250 | $34,200 |
| Wholesale Trade | 900 | $40,630 |
| Information | 440 | $38,020 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 290 | $37,510 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 200 | $44,780 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Machine Feeders and Offbearers Use
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
Work Environment
The on-the-job environment of machine feeders and offbearers tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Spend Time Standing
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
How to Become Machine Feeders and Offbearers
Typical machine feeders and offbearers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics (Supplemental)
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners (Supplemental)
- Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (Supplemental)
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers (Supplemental)
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 53-7063.00 (Machine Feeders and Offbearers).
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