Produces whiskey, gin, rum and other spirits by fermenting, distilling and aging, often at a craft or heritage distillery. BLS does not publish separate figures for separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders; it counts them within separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setter, operator, and tender (SOC 51-9012), whose median pay is $51,610 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 51-9012
- Production
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Distiller in four numbers
- Median pay
- $51,610a year, or $24.81/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $36KTop 10% $80K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -5.7%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−5.7%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −5.7% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 5,20061,400 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202561.4K
- Projected 203557.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 61.4K Projected 2035 57.9K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Master Distiller, Head Distiller, Craft Distiller, Assistant Distiller, Still Operator.
Pay
How much do Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders make?
Every distiller in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$51,610
Middle half earn $44,410 to $63,930
- 10th
- $36,200
- 25th
- $44,410
- 75th
- $63,930
- 90th
- $79,750
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $36,200 |
| 25th | $44,410 |
| Median | $51,610 |
| 75th | $63,930 |
| 90th | $79,750 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $51,610
- Median hourly wage
- $24.81/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $56,030
- People employed
- 60,100
Versus all US occupations
At $51,610, the median for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders sits in line with the $50,980 median across all US occupations.
Versus production occupations
Inside the Production group, where the middle occupation pays $48,030, this is 7% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $79,750 or more while the bottom 10% earn $36,200, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 24% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Wyoming pays the most at $108,900, and still leads at $117,487 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Wyoming | $108,900 | $117,487 | 410 |
| 2Nevada | $62,960 | $62,973 | 270 |
| 3New Hampshire | $60,340 | $57,927 | 590 |
| 4Wisconsin | $60,100 | $63,872 | 1,520 |
| 5Virginia | $59,480 | $58,831 | 2,130 |
| 6North Dakota | $59,390 | $66,761 | 270 |
| 7Kentucky | $58,770 | $65,185 | 1,500 |
| 8Louisiana | $58,640 | $66,480 | 770 |
| 9New Jersey | $58,140 | $53,435 | 930 |
| 10Arizona | $57,820 | $57,431 | 970 |
Job outlook
Is Distiller a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -5.7% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | −5.7% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders to change -5.7% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 3,500 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 5,200 openings are projected each year, 8.5% of the 61,400 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Distiller
Most distillers learn through hands-on work, starting in production or bottling and moving up to the stills. Formal training is increasingly common, including the Chartered Institute of Brewers and Distillers General Certificate in Distilling and Diploma, distilling programs at universities such as Michigan State and the University of Kentucky, and short courses offered through industry groups.
The American Craft Spirits Association and the American Distilling Institute provide education and events. Chemistry or food science coursework helps with fermentation and quality control. Distilleries must hold a permit from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, so distillers learn its recordkeeping rules.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Distiller do?
Distillers make spirits. They mill grain or prepare sugar and fruit, cook and ferment mash, and run pot or column stills, deciding where to make cuts between the heads, hearts and tails to control flavor. For gin they manage botanical recipes; for whiskey and rum they fill barrels and manage aging warehouses.
Master or head distillers set the house style, develop new products, select barrels for release, and blend batches for consistency. Distillers also maintain equipment, handle the safety risks of flammable alcohol vapor, and keep the detailed production and gauging records required for a federally permitted distilled spirits plant.
Day-to-day tasks
- Prepare and ferment mash from grain, sugar or fruit
- Operate pot and column stills
- Make cuts between heads, hearts and tails
- Fill, track and sample aging barrels
- Blend batches and select barrels for release
- Maintain stills and production equipment
- Keep federal production and gauging records
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Distillers work in production facilities that are hot near the stills and seasonal in barrel warehouses. The job involves lifting, moving barrels and cleaning equipment, with strict fire safety rules. Craft distillers often also lead tours and tastings. Work is concentrated around regions such as Kentucky and Tennessee, though craft distilleries now operate in every state.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Critical Thinking3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Active Listening3.0
- Writing2.9
- Speaking2.9
- Active Learning2.9
- Learning Strategies2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 |
| Writing | 2.9 |
| Speaking | 2.9 |
| Active Learning | 2.9 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operations Monitoring3.8
- Operation and Control3.1
- Quality Control Analysis3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Coordination2.9
- Complex Problem Solving2.9
- Equipment Maintenance2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.8 |
| Operation and Control | 3.1 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 2.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.9 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Distiller?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code RIC) built on O*NET's Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Distiller |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic6.3
- Conventional4.7
- Investigative3.3
- Social1.1
- Enterprising1.1
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Distiller
O*NET related occupations
- Production
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender
$51,610median a year
Most earn $36K to $80K
−5.7%High school - Production
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operator and Tender
$43,530median a year
Most earn $34K to $59K
+3.4%High school - Production
Mixing and Blending Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender
$48,990median a year
Most earn $37K to $70K
−6.1%High school - Production
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operator and Tender
$48,040median a year
Most earn $36K to $70K
+2.6%High school - Production
- Production
More production careers
Median annual pay, with separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders highlighted
- Power Plant Operator$102,040
- Tool and Die Maker$64,050
- Machinist$58,750
- Welder$53,750
- Distiller$51,610
- Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter$51,330
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator$50,690
- Butcher and Meat Cutter$40,140
- Baker$37,160
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Power Plant Operator | $102,040 |
| Tool and Die Maker | $64,050 |
| Machinist | $58,750 |
| Welder | $53,750 |
| Distiller | $51,610 |
| Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter | $51,330 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator | $50,690 |
| Butcher and Meat Cutter | $40,140 |
| Baker | $37,160 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Distiller appears on
Questions
Distiller: frequently asked questions
How much do Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders. It counts them within separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setter, operator, and tender, whose median pay is $51,610 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $44,410 and $63,930, and the top 10% earn $79,750 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Distiller?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training.
Is Distiller a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 5.7% over 2025–2035, a loss of 3,500 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 5,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Distiller do?
Distillers make spirits. A typical task: prepare and ferment mash from grain, sugar or fruit. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Enterprise resource planning ERP software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders the most?
The highest state medians for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders are Wyoming ($108,900), Nevada ($62,960), New Hampshire ($60,340) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Distiller?
O*NET scores Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.