Packers and Packagers, Hand
Pack or package by hand a wide variety of products and materials.
Also called: Bagger · Crater · Mini Shifter · Pack Out Operator · Packager · Packaging Specialist
Median pay (national)
$35,580
$27,050–$46,260 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
601,440
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-5.4%
~74,000 openings/yr
Typical entry
No formal educational credential
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for packers and packagers, hand shows a relatively narrow range: the top 10% earn $46,260 versus $27,050 at the bottom 10% — 1.7x. The median of $35,580 leaves roughly 30% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change -5.4% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 74,000 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 54 states with released data, New Jersey pays the most for this role (median $42,770, +20% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $19,950 — a 114% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Monitoring, Active Listening, Critical Thinking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Mark and label containers, container tags, or products, using marking tools.
- Clean containers, materials, supplies, or work areas, using cleaning solutions and hand tools.
- Measure, weigh, and count products and materials.
- Record product, packaging, and order information on specified forms and records.
- Obtain, move, and sort products, materials, containers, and orders, using hand tools.
- Examine and inspect containers, materials, or products to ensure that product quality and packing specifications are met.
- Seal containers or materials, using glues, fasteners, nails, and hand tools.
- Assemble, line, and pad cartons, crates, and containers, using hand tools.
- Remove completed or defective products or materials, placing them on moving equipment, such as conveyors, or in specified areas, such as loading docks.
- Place or pour products or materials into containers, using hand tools and equipment, or fill containers from spouts or chutes.
Tools & technology
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- SAP software
- Inventory tracking software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Word
Knowledge areas
- Production and Processing
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Administrative
- Mathematics
- Public Safety and Security
- Mechanical
- Computers and Electronics