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.
Food Batchmaker Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Food Batchmakers is $42,290 a year ($20.33/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 6.9% through 2034, with about 24,200 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 51-3092ProductionLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $42,290
- Projected growth
- +6.9%
- Openings a year
- 24,200
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Batching Operator, Blender, Brewing Technician, Compounder, Dosier Operator, Dough Scaler.
How much do Food Batchmakers make?
10th percentile$31,990
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$36,350
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$42,290
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$49,670
Upper quartile
90th percentile$58,940
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $42,290 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $20.33/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $43,750 |
| People employed | 174,520 |
Versus all US occupations
At $42,290, Food Batchmakers earn 17% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $8,690 a year.
Versus production occupations
Inside the Production group, where the middle occupation pays $47,920, this is 12% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $58,940 or more while the bottom 10% earn $31,990, a gap of 1.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 13% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Vermont posts the highest raw median ($50,180), but once local prices are taken into account Iowa leads at $55,035 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Food Batchmakers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | $50,180 | $51,226 | 1,000 |
| Idaho | $49,570 | $51,909 | 1,700 |
| Wisconsin | $48,360 | $51,395 | 18,040 |
| Iowa | $48,300 | $55,035 | 4,160 |
| Illinois | $48,130 | $48,150 | 12,320 |
| Kentucky | $46,900 | $52,019 | 4,570 |
| Georgia | $46,490 | $48,280 | 4,290 |
| Missouri | $45,690 | $50,310 | 2,280 |
| Colorado | $44,900 | $43,570 | 3,880 |
| Ohio | $44,590 | $48,063 | 7,040 |
Is Food Batchmaker a growing career?
Food Batchmakers6.9%
All US occupations3.1%
+6.9% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Food Batchmakers to change 6.9% over 2024–2034, roughly 2.2× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 11,900 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 24,200 openings are projected each year, 13.9% of the 173,500 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of food processing equipment workers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations.
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.
How to become a Food Batchmaker
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.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as food batchmakers.
- High School Diploma37.8%
- Some College Courses26.7%
- Post-Secondary Certificate21.5%
- Less than a High School Diploma13.9%
What does a Food Batchmaker do?
Set up and operate equipment that mixes or blends ingredients used in the manufacturing of food products. Includes candy makers and cheese makers.
Food processing equipment workers operate machinery that mixes, cooks, or processes ingredients for manufacturing food products.
Day-to-day tasks
- Set up, operate, and tend equipment that cooks, mixes, blends, or processes ingredients in the manufacturing of food products, according to formulas or recipes.
- Follow recipes to produce food products of specified flavor, texture, clarity, bouquet, or color.
- Clean and sterilize vats and factory processing areas.
- Record production and test data for each food product batch, such as the ingredients used, temperature, test results, and time cycle.
- Observe and listen to equipment to detect possible malfunctions, such as leaks or plugging, and report malfunctions or undesirable tastes to supervisors.
- Observe gauges and thermometers to determine if the mixing chamber temperature is within specified limits, and turn valves to control the temperature.
- Press switches and turn knobs to start, adjust, and regulate equipment, such as beaters, extruders, discharge pipes, and salt pumps.
- Mix or blend ingredients, according to recipes, using a paddle or an agitator, or by controlling vats that heat and mix ingredients.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension3.1/5
- Critical Thinking3.1/5
- Active Listening3.0/5
- Speaking3.0/5
- Writing2.9/5
- Monitoring2.9/5
- Mathematics2.8/5
- Active Learning2.8/5
Transferable skills
- Operations Monitoring3.3/5
- Coordination3.0/5
- Operation and Control3.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.8/5
- Quality Control Analysis2.8/5
- Time Management2.8/5
Tools and software
- Office suite software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Inventory management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Food Batchmaker?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary6.1
Investigative2.1
Artistic1.9
Social1.5
Enterprising2.6
Conventionalprimary4.7
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.
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.
Food Batchmaker: frequently asked questions
How much do Food Batchmakers make?
Food Batchmakers earn a median of $42,290 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 17% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $20.33/hr. The middle half earn between $36,350 and $49,670. The top 10% earn $58,940 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Food Batchmaker?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Food Batchmakers. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 37.8% hold high school diploma.
Is Food Batchmaker a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 6.9% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 24,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Food Batchmaker do?
Food processing equipment workers operate machinery that mixes, cooks, or processes ingredients for manufacturing food products. A core O*NET task: set up, operate, and tend equipment that cooks, mixes, blends, or processes ingredients in the manufacturing of food products, according to formulas or recipes. Employers most often ask for Office suite software.
Which states pay Food Batchmakers the most?
The highest state medians for Food Batchmakers are Vermont ($50,180), Idaho ($49,570), Wisconsin ($48,360) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Iowa moves to the top at $55,035.
What personality type suits a Food Batchmaker?
O*NET scores Food Batchmakers highest on the Realistic and Conventional 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 923 occupations in the bank.