What Does it Take to Be a Paper Goods Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender?
Position Description Set up, operate, or tend paper goods machines that perform a variety of functions, such as converting, sawing, corrugating, banding, wrapping, boxing, stitching, forming, or sealing paper or paperboard sheets into products.
List of Paper Goods Machine Operator Job Duties
- Examine completed work to detect defects and verify conformance to work orders, and adjust machinery as necessary to correct production problems.
- Cut products to specified dimensions, using hand or power cutters.
- Start machines and move controls to regulate tension on pressure rolls, to synchronize speed of machine components, and to adjust temperatures of glue or paraffin.
- Monitor finished cartons as they drop from forming machines into rotating hoppers and into gravity feed chutes to prevent jamming.
- Observe operation of various machines to detect and correct machine malfunctions such as improper forming, glue flow, or pasteboard tension.
- Adjust guide assemblies, forming bars, and folding mechanisms according to specifications, using hand tools.
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Skills Needed to be a Paper Goods Machine Operator
These are the skills Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders say are the most useful in their careers:
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Types of Paper Goods Machine Operator Jobs
- Cellophane Bag Machine Operator
- Paper Bag Maker
- Corrugator
- Label Folder
- Paper Folding Machine Operator
Job Demand for Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 94,600 jobs in the United States for Paper Goods Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Paper Goods Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender. The BLS estimates 8,300 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Paper Goods Machine Operator are Nevada, Idaho, and Texas. Watch out if you plan on working in Massachusetts, Kansas, or Colorado. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
How Much Does a Paper Goods Machine Operator Make?
The typical yearly salary for Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is somewhere between $23,820 and $60,790.

Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders who work in South Carolina, Oklahoma, or Oregon, make the highest salaries.
How much do Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $44,340 |
Arizona | $37,010 |
Arkansas | $38,710 |
California | $36,630 |
Colorado | $32,800 |
Connecticut | $40,780 |
Florida | $37,940 |
Georgia | $43,160 |
Idaho | $44,240 |
Illinois | $37,370 |
Indiana | $33,230 |
Iowa | $40,980 |
Kansas | $35,760 |
Kentucky | $43,520 |
Louisiana | $44,520 |
Maine | $33,310 |
Maryland | $35,970 |
Massachusetts | $38,110 |
Michigan | $39,460 |
Minnesota | $44,150 |
Mississippi | $28,780 |
Missouri | $43,260 |
Nebraska | $34,350 |
Nevada | $40,530 |
New Hampshire | $35,840 |
New Jersey | $31,880 |
New Mexico | $32,190 |
New York | $37,950 |
North Carolina | $37,450 |
Ohio | $39,730 |
Oklahoma | $50,090 |
Oregon | $52,990 |
Pennsylvania | $41,370 |
Rhode Island | $31,920 |
South Carolina | $50,250 |
South Dakota | $34,950 |
Tennessee | $32,230 |
Texas | $32,820 |
Utah | $36,880 |
Vermont | $39,070 |
Virginia | $43,390 |
Washington | $48,450 |
West Virginia | $43,190 |
Wisconsin | $44,200 |
What Tools & Technology do Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign
- Quark
Becoming a Paper Goods Machine Operator
Education needed to be a Paper Goods Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender:

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Work

Below are examples of industries where Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders work:

Similar Careers
Those interested in being a Paper Goods Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender may also be interested in:
Career changers with experience as a Paper Goods Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
- Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Engine and Other Machine Assemblers
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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