Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
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.
Also called: Corrugator Operator · Cup Room Technician · Folder Machine Operator · Gluer Operator · Paper Cutter Operator · Paper Machine Backtender
Median pay (national)
$49,390
$36,610–$68,640 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
96,950
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-6.3%
~8,100 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $68,640 versus $36,610 at the bottom 10% — 1.9x. The median of $49,390 leaves roughly 39% 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 -6.3% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 8,100 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 44 states with released data, Louisiana pays the most for this role (median $62,690, +27% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $22,240 — a 182% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Speaking, 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.
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Examine completed work to detect defects and verify conformance to work orders, and adjust machinery as necessary to correct production problems.
- Observe operation of various machines to detect and correct machine malfunctions such as improper forming, glue flow, or pasteboard tension.
- Disassemble machines to maintain, repair, or replace broken or worn parts, using hand or power tools.
- 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.
- Measure, space, and set saw blades, cutters, and perforators, according to product specifications.
- Stamp products with information such as dates, using hand stamps or automatic stamping devices.
- Remove finished cores, and stack or place them on conveyors for transfer to other work areas.
- Install attachments to machines for gluing, folding, printing, or cutting.
- Cut products to specified dimensions, using hand or power cutters.
Tools & technology
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Objectif Lune PrintShop Mail
- Quark enterprise publishing software
- Virtual Systems Mail-Shop
- Adobe Acrobat
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Word
Knowledge areas
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Public Safety and Security
- Engineering and Technology