Food Processing Workers, All Other

All food processing workers not listed separately.

What you'd actually do

• Observe, feel, taste, or otherwise examine products during and after processing to ensure conformance to standards.
• Set temperature and time controls, light ovens, burners, driers, or roasters, and start equipment, such as conveyors, cylinders, blowers, driers, or pumps.
• Observe temperature, humidity, pressure gauges, and product samples and adjust controls, such as thermostats and valves, to maintain prescribed operating conditions for specific stages.
• Observe flow of materials and listen for machine malfunctions, such as jamming or spillage, and notify supervisors if corrective actions fail.
• Record production data, such as weight and amount of product processed, type of product, and time and temperature of processing.
• Weigh or measure products, using scale hoppers or scale conveyors.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Less than high school. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the day is spent working solo; time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 1.7% of food processing workers, all other are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.

Related careers

• Tool and Die Makers
• Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
• First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers
• Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
• Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians

Quick questions

How much does a food processing workers, all other make?

The median pay is $19.08 per hour — roughly $39,500 a year, with the real range running from about $15.49/hr (10th percentile) to $23.05/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a food processing workers, all other?

The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

What does a food processing workers, all other actually do all day?

Observe, feel, taste, or otherwise examine products during and after processing to ensure conformance to standards. Set temperature and time controls, light ovens, burners, driers, or roasters, and start equipment, such as conveyors, cylinders, blowers, driers, or pumps. Observe temperature, humidity, pressure gauges, and product samples and adjust controls, such as thermostats and valves, to maintain prescribed operating conditions for specific stages.