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Operate or tend cooking equipment, such as steam cooking vats, deep fry cookers, pressure cookers, kettles, and boilers, to prepare food products.
Detail oriented. Workers must be able to detect small changes in the quality or quantity of food products. They must also follow health and safety standards to avoid injury and prevent food contamination.
Physical stamina. Workers stand for long periods as they tend machines and monitor the production process.
Physical strength. Food processing equipment workers must be able to lift or move heavy boxes of ingredients, which may weigh up to 50 pounds.
Math skills. Workers may need math skills in order to accurately mix specific quantities of ingredients.
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Characteristics of this Career |
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87% | Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. | |
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74% | Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. | |
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71% | Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical. | |
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70% | Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. | |
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69% | Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations. | |
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68% | Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. | |
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67% | Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. | |
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66% | Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Strengths |
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100% | Realistic - Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services. | |
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72% | Conventional - Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Values of the Work Environment |
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61% | Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality |
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66% | Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent |
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94% | Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals? | |
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94% | Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions? | |
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90% | Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls - How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls? | |
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90% | Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? | |
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89% | Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? | |
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87% | Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? | |
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85% | Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? | |
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82% | Spend Time Walking and Running - How much does this job require walking and running? | |
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82% | Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets - How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets? | |
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78% | Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines? | |
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74% | Spend Time Standing - How much does this job require standing? | |
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69% | Physical Proximity - To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people? | |
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67% | Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? | |
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66% | Consequence of Error - How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not readily correctable? | |
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66% | Very Hot or Cold Temperatures - How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures? | |
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65% | Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions - How much does this job require making repetitive motions? | |
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65% | Responsible for Others' Health and Safety - How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job? |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Tasks & Values |
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80% | Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. | |
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79% | Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. | |
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79% | Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. | |
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78% | Controlling Machines and Processes - Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles). | |
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77% | Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. | |
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76% | Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. | |
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75% | Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. | |
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74% | Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. | |
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71% | Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information - Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity. | |
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66% | Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. | |
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65% | Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. | |
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65% | Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. |
Food processing equipment workers operate machinery that mixes, cooks, or processes ingredients for manufacturing food products.
Food processing equipment workers typically do the following:
Food processing equipment workers often have different duties depending on the type of machinery they use or the goods they process. Job titles may be specific to the type of food workers produce.
Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders run equipment that uses dry heat to make food or tobacco products. For example, coffee roasters follow recipes and tend machines to produce standard or specialty coffees; dryers of fruits and vegetables operate machines that produce raisins, prunes, and other dehydrated foods.
Food batchmakers operate equipment that mixes or blends ingredients to produce shelf-stable, refrigerated, or frozen foods. For example, cheese makers load raw ingredients into machinery, monitoring the temperature and consistency throughout the production process; candy makers may operate machinery to shape, stretch, or mold lollipops, gumdrops, and other sweets.
Food cooking machine operators and tenders oversee equipment that makes steamed, fried, boiled, or related food products. For example, dumpling machine operators set up and monitor commercial steamers and potato chip manufacturing workers may operate frying equipment.
Other food processing equipment workers operate machines that mix spices, mill grains, or extract oil from seeds.
Food and tobacco processing workers held about 269,200 jobs in 2022. Employment in the detailed occupations that make up food and tobacco processing workers was distributed as follows:
| Food batchmakers | 171,500 |
| Food processing workers, all other | 48,800 |
| Food cooking machine operators and tenders | 27,300 |
| Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders | 21,500 |
The largest employers of food and tobacco processing workers were as follows:
| Food manufacturing | 76% |
| Employment services | 6 |
Food manufacturing facilities are typically large, open-floor areas with loud machinery. When operating cooking equipment, workers are frequently exposed to high temperatures. When working with goods that need to be refrigerated or frozen, they may be exposed to cold temperatures for long periods.
Depending on the type of food being processed, workers may be required to wear ear protection to guard against hearing loss in noisy facilities. They also may wear masks, hairnets, or gloves to prevent product contamination.
Workers usually stand during their shifts while tending machines or observing the production process. Loading, unloading, or cleaning equipment may require lifting, bending, and reaching.
Food processing workers, all other, have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. ("All other" titles represent occupations with a wide range of characteristics that do not fit into any of the other detailed occupations.) Working around hot liquids or machinery that cuts or presses can be dangerous. Common injuries include cuts or result from slips and falls.. To reduce the risks of injuries, workers are required to wear protective clothing and nonslip shoes.
Most food processing equipment workers are employed full time; part-time work may be common for food cooking machine operators and tenders. Because of production schedules, shift work is common and may include early mornings, evenings, or nights.
Some food processing positions are seasonal.
Education requirements vary for food processing equipment workers. Some typically need no formal education credential; however, others typically need a high school diploma or equivalent. Food processing equipment workers usually learn their skills through on-the-job training.
Employers may require or prefer that applicants to food processing equipment jobs have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Because these workers often adjust the quantity of ingredients that go into a mix, math and reading skills are helpful.
Food processing equipment workers learn on the job. Training may last from a few weeks to a few months. During training, workers learn health and safety rules related to the type of food that they process, as well as how to operate specific equipment and detect malfunctions.
Experienced workers typically teach trainees how to properly use and care for equipment.
Overall employment of food processing equipment workers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
About 39,900 openings for food processing equipment workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of food processing equipment workers varies by occupation (see table). Population growth and continuing consumer preference for convenience foods are expected to drive the demand for food, which will in turn require more food processing workers to produce it. Some food manufacturing companies use equipment that automatically weighs and mixes ingredients, which requires fewer workers to operate machines.
For more information about food processing equipment workers, visit
Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers International (BCTGM)
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of food processing equipment workers.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Agricultural and Food Science Technicians |
Agricultural and food science technicians assist agricultural and food scientists. |
Associate's degree | $46,140 |
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Bakers |
Bakers mix ingredients according to recipes in order to make breads, pastries, and other baked goods. |
No formal educational credential | $32,780 |
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Butchers |
Butchers cut, trim, and package meat for retail sale. |
No formal educational credential | $36,930 |
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Cooks |
Cooks season and prepare foods, including soups, salads, entrees, and desserts. |
See How to Become One | $30,910 |
|
Food Preparation Workers |
Food preparation workers perform a variety of tasks other than cooking, such as slicing meat and brewing coffee. |
No formal educational credential | $29,790 |
|
Metal and Plastic Machine Workers |
Metal and plastic machine workers set up and operate equipment that cuts, shapes, and forms metal and plastic materials or pieces. |
See How to Become One | $41,060 |