Packaging Line Operator Salary in the United States
How much does a Packaging Line Operator make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Packaging Line Operator in the United States is $39,514 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $19.
However, a Packaging Line Operator's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $45,347
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $36,335 to $42,568
Key Factors That Influence Packaging Line Operator Salaries
A Packaging Line Operator's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Packaging Line Operator Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Packaging Line Operator's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Packaging Line Operator Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Packaging Line Operators. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $43,750.
California: $43,584.
Massachusetts: $43,003.
District of Columbia$43,750
California$43,584
Massachusetts$43,003
Washington$42,845
New Jersey$42,829
Alaska$42,774
Connecticut$42,229
New York$42,008
Hawaii$41,300
Rhode Island$40,968
Maryland$40,743
Minnesota$40,435
Colorado$40,316
Illinois$40,277
Oregon$40,127
Delaware$40,016
New Hampshire$39,946
Virginia$39,791
Pennsylvania$39,336
Nevada$39,107
North Dakota$39,032
Michigan$38,914
Wisconsin$38,870
Vermont$38,783
Texas$38,542
Maine$38,526
Arizona$38,503
Ohio$38,475
Georgia$38,111
Indiana$37,930
Wyoming$37,894
Utah$37,839
Iowa$37,815
Kansas$37,625
Louisiana$37,570
North Carolina$37,550
Missouri$37,542
Florida$37,388
Montana$37,305
Nebraska$37,226
Kentucky$37,183
South Carolina$37,025
Tennessee$36,926
Idaho$36,887
New Mexico$36,598
Oklahoma$36,535
Alabama$36,302
South Dakota$35,911
Arkansas$35,697
West Virginia$35,583
Mississippi$35,239
Top Paying Cities for Packaging Line Operators
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $49,839
San Francisco: $49,294
Oakland: $48,255
San Jose, CA$49,839
San Francisco, CA$49,294
Oakland, CA$48,255
New York, NY$45,496
Paramus, NJ$44,943
Queens Village, NY$44,941
Passaic, NJ$44,904
Bergenfield, NJ$44,900
Stamford, CT$44,813
Huntington, NY$44,797
Newark, NJ$44,505
Bridgeport, CT$44,421
Vallejo, CA$44,343
New Brunswick, NJ$44,327
Petaluma, CA$44,303
Middlesex, NJ$44,228
Somerset, NJ$44,201
Santa Cruz, CA$44,149
Boston, MA$43,908
Monterey, CA$43,769
Seattle, WA$43,679
Santa Rosa, CA$43,671
Los Angeles, CA$43,659
Juneau, AK$43,557
Washington, DC$43,513
Orange, CA$43,372
Santa Ana, CA$43,268
Long Beach, CA$43,229
Anaheim, CA$43,221
Anchorage, AK$43,201
Santa Maria, CA$43,082
Everett, WA$43,074
Danbury, CT$42,935
Bremerton, WA$42,881
Tacoma, WA$42,739
New Suffolk, NY$42,738
Sacramento, CA$42,727
Santa Barbara, CA$42,683
Trenton, NJ$42,640
San Diego, CA$42,640
Brockton, MA$42,596
Fairbanks, AK$42,499
Lompoc, CA$42,399
Lowell, MA$42,367
Ventura, CA$42,359
Nashua, NH$42,351
Stockton, CA$42,347
Modesto, CA$42,059
Poughkeepsie, NY$41,972
Olympia, WA$41,897
Kennewick, WA$41,897
New Haven, CT$41,881
Lawrence, MA$41,739
Hartford, CT$41,699
Riverside, CA$41,691
New Bedford, MA$41,652
Richland, WA$41,652
Bakersfield, CA$41,597
San Bernardino, CA$41,581
New Britain, CT$41,577
Atlantic City, NJ$41,577
New London, CT$41,561
Norwich, CT$41,549
Portsmouth, NH$41,541
Boulder, CO$41,458
Portland, OR$41,403
Worcester, MA$41,399
Minneapolis, MN$41,277
Philadelphia, PA$41,221
Honolulu, HI$41,091
Saint Paul, MN$41,072
Vineland, NJ$41,063
Providence, RI$40,949
Chicago, IL$40,834
Bellingham, WA$40,787
Springfield, MA$40,755
Baltimore, MD$40,743
Chico, CA$40,644
Pittsfield, MA$40,538
Manchester, NH$40,463
Spokane, WA$40,289
Denver, CO$40,285
Albany, NY$40,099
Troy, NY$40,083
Nassau, NY$40,041
Schenectady, NY$40,000
Wilmington, DE$39,969
Burlington, VT$39,913
Salem, OR$39,897
Portland, ME$39,775
Yakima, WA$39,735
Rochester, MN$39,613
Reno, NV$39,593
Fresno, CA$39,593
Milwaukee, WI$39,558
Detroit, MI$39,518
Ann Arbor, MI$39,511
Allentown, PA$39,506
Colorado Springs, CO$39,439
Syracuse, NY$39,419
Carson City, NV$39,419
Houston, TX$39,364
Eugene, OR$39,344
Gary, IN$39,297
Springfield, OR$39,265
Bismarck, ND$39,257
Galveston, TX$39,230
Medford, OR$39,170
Fort Collins, CO$39,155
Concord, NH$39,135
Austin, TX$39,123
Mesa, AZ$39,040
Reading, PA$39,036
Phoenix, AZ$39,032
Dallas, TX$39,020
Saint Cloud, MN$38,982
Madison, WI$38,929
Utica, NY$38,823
Rochester, NY$38,759
Des Moines, IA$38,756
Raleigh, NC$38,752
Atlanta, GA$38,692
Battle Creek, MI$38,680
Salt Lake City, UT$38,669
Lancaster, PA$38,609
Harrisburg, PA$38,554
Kansas City, MO$38,514
Champaign, IL$38,507
Kansas City, KS$38,507
Fort Worth, TX$38,503
Columbus, OH$38,496
Boca Raton, FL$38,487
Pittsburgh, PA$38,471
Richmond, VA$38,455
Indianapolis, IN$38,447
Cleveland, OH$38,443
Las Vegas, NV$38,396
Cincinnati, OH$38,396
Petersburg, VA$38,337
Huntsville, AL$38,277
Lansing, MI$38,251
Lebanon, PA$38,246
Pueblo, CO$38,242
Appleton, WI$38,230
Buffalo, NY$38,214
Dayton, OH$38,202
Racine, WI$38,194
Charlotte, NC$38,190
Saint Louis, MO$38,179
York, PA$38,155
Elkhart, IN$38,155
Gastonia, NC$38,147
Billings, MT$38,138
Beaumont, TX$38,127
Lorain, OH$38,119
Benton Harbor, MI$38,111
Toledo, OH$38,104
Binghamton, NY$38,084
Rock Hill, SC$38,080
Rockford, IL$38,060
Springfield, IL$38,044
Elyria, OH$38,040
Fargo, ND$38,040
Flagstaff, AZ$38,013
Fort Lauderdale, FL$37,989
Duluth, MN$37,965
Miami, FL$37,965
Cheyenne, WY$37,938
Grand Forks, ND$37,938
Bangor, ME$37,851
Cedar Rapids, IA$37,807
Durham, NC$37,791
Louisville, KY$37,787
Grand Rapids, MI$37,780
Hialeah, FL$37,776
Casper, WY$37,720
Scranton, PA$37,673
New Orleans, LA$37,661
Virginia Beach, VA$37,657
Akron, OH$37,637
Peoria, IL$37,586
Sarasota, FL$37,578
Nashville, TN$37,550
Omaha, NE$37,550
Green Bay, WI$37,550
Baton Rouge, LA$37,531
Charleston, SC$37,523
Jamestown, NY$37,503
Davenport, IA$37,503
Tucson, AZ$37,483
Saint Petersburg, FL$37,459
Tampa, FL$37,452
Evansville, IN$37,428
Port Arthur, TX$37,428
Bradenton, FL$37,412
Santa Fe, NM$37,341
Orlando, FL$37,270
Clearwater, FL$37,258
Canton, OH$37,175
La Crosse, WI$37,175
Albuquerque, NM$37,151
Newport News, VA$37,147
High Point, NC$37,135
Ogden, UT$37,120
Corpus Christi, TX$37,088
Norfolk, VA$37,064
Laramie, WY$37,064
Rock Island, IL$37,041
Saginaw, MI$37,033
Jacksonville, FL$37,029
Salisbury, NC$37,021
Boise, ID$37,013
Moline, IL$36,993
Fort Myers, FL$36,981
Memphis, TN$36,973
Tulsa, OK$36,954
Waterloo, IA$36,930
Spartanburg, SC$36,890
Lincoln, NE$36,871
Fort Wayne, IN$36,863
Provo, UT$36,859
Cedar Falls, IA$36,811
San Antonio, TX$36,796
Greensboro, NC$36,780
South Bend, IN$36,776
Savannah, GA$36,732
Muskegon, MI$36,717
Birmingham, AL$36,713
Winston Salem, NC$36,693
Lake Charles, LA$36,598
Anderson, IN$36,590
Lexington, KY$36,578
Augusta, GA$36,566
Greenville, SC$36,566
Lima, OH$36,535
Wichita, KS$36,531
Tuscaloosa, AL$36,531
Columbia, SC$36,495
Springfield, OH$36,487
Asheville, NC$36,424
Bloomington, IN$36,397
Knoxville, TN$36,254
Shreveport, LA$36,250
Wilmington, NC$36,199
Roanoke, VA$36,199
Topeka, KS$36,128
Frankfort, KY$36,123
Oklahoma City, OK$36,096
Chillicothe, OH$36,080
Longview, TX$36,076
Melbourne, FL$36,073
Sioux Falls, SD$36,009
Mobile, AL$36,005
Terre Haute, IN$35,990
Altoona, PA$35,966
Amarillo, TX$35,938
Killeen, TX$35,926
Fayetteville, AR$35,895
Chattanooga, TN$35,883
Sioux City, IA$35,847
Idaho Falls, ID$35,839
Lynchburg, VA$35,808
Gainesville, FL$35,756
Portsmouth, OH$35,737
Little Rock, AR$35,729
Lafayette, LA$35,713
Youngstown, OH$35,713
Daytona Beach, FL$35,689
Clarksville, TN$35,685
Pensacola, FL$35,681
Temple, TX$35,679
Hopkinsville, KY$35,563
Erie, PA$35,555
Florence, SC$35,539
Charleston, WV$35,476
Great Falls, MT$35,456
Macon, GA$35,401
Tallahassee, FL$35,397
Fayetteville, NC$35,389
Waco, TX$35,381
Helena, MT$35,353
Pine Bluff, AR$35,338
Vincennes, IN$35,290
Lubbock, TX$35,274
Alamogordo, NM$35,251
Twin Falls, ID$35,215
Rapid City, SD$35,203
Jackson, MS$35,132
Huntington, WV$35,129
Greenville, MS$35,128
Parkersburg, WV$35,088
Montgomery, AL$35,081
Wichita Falls, TX$35,041
Springfield, MO$35,041
Biloxi, MS$35,021
Monroe, LA$34,982
Johnstown, PA$34,954
Sumter, SC$34,938
Columbus, GA$34,935
Pascagoula, MS$34,859
Abilene, TX$34,859
Kingsport, TN$34,757
Albany, GA$34,757
Gulfport, MS$34,745
Alexandria, LA$34,614
Fort Smith, AR$34,516
El Paso, TX$34,409
Las Cruces, NM$34,231
Harlingen, TX$34,131
Pocatello, ID$34,124
Florence, AL$34,073
Brownsville, TX$34,065
Mcallen, TX$33,982
Dothan, AL$33,927
Columbus, MS$33,692
Altus, OK$33,508
Lawton, OK$33,433
Pierre, SD$33,291
What Skills Can Increase a Packaging Line Operator's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Commitment (Mentioned in 3.8% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Food Safety (Mentioned in 2.92% Job Postings): Applying procedures during food preparation, processing, storage, and distribution to ensure consumers are safe from foodborne illnesses.
5S (Mentioned in 1.47% Job Postings): Stands for sort, sustain, set in order, standardized and shine. 5 tips that are designed to achieve clean, uncluttered, safe, and well organized workplace for a more systematized work flow.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Packaging Line Operator's salary.
Accountability: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Sustainability: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Packaging Line Operator Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Packaging Line Operator roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 45% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Aerospace & Defense
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average.
In contrast, Packaging Line Operator positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Packaging Line Operator as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Packaging Line Operator
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals
$47,417
$23.0
20%
Aerospace & Defense
$45,441
$22.0
15%
Biotechnology
$45,441
$22.0
15%
Chemicals
$43,466
$21.0
10%
Financial Services
$43,466
$21.0
10%
How Education impacts a Packaging Line Operator's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Packaging Line Operators enter the field with a No Diploma degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Packaging Line Operator with a No Diploma is between
$34,791
and $37,321).
Packaging Line Operator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Packaging Line Operator's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$36,335
Average$39,514/year
$42,568
$3,028
Average$3,293/month
$3,547
$699
Average$760/week
$819
$17
Average$19/hour
$20
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$42,568
$3,547
$819
$20
Average
$39,514
$3,293
$760
$19
25th Percentile
$36,335
$3,028
$699
$17
Salaries of Jobs related to Packaging Line Operator
Packaging Manager$114,308
Packaging Supervisor$84,536
Paint Line Operator$50,476
Packaging Machine Operator III$49,384
Line Operator$45,747
Packaging Machine Operator II$44,464
Packaging Machine Operator$43,765
Assistant Packaging Operator$42,870
Packaging Operator I$39,499
Packaging Machine Operator I$38,893
Operator, Packaging$38,040
Salary Trends for Packaging Line Operator
Salaries for a Packaging Line Operator can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $38,646 in 2023
to around $38,111 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Packaging Line Operator salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Packaging Line Operator Over Time
$???
$38,646
$38,368
$38,111
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$38,646
2024
$38,368
2025
$38,111
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Packaging Line Operator
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Packaging Line Operator
Here are companies hiring for Packaging Line Operator and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Packaging Line Operator
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Packaging Line Operator?
The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Packaging Line Operator roles,
with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
