Machine Feeders and Offbearers earn a median of $41,220 per year ($19.82/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 13.1% through 2035, with about 4,000 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
- SOC 53-7063
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Machine Feeder and Offbearer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $41,220a year, or $19.82/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $32KTop 10% $58K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -13.1%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−13.1%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −13.1% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 4,00041,800 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202541.8K
- Projected 203536.3K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 41.8K Projected 2035 36.3K - Typical education
- No formal credentialneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school20.7%
- High school73%
- Certificate4%
- Associate's2.3%
Highest education held by machine feeders and offbearers Segment Value Less than high school 20.7% High school 73% Certificate 4% Associate's 2.3%
Also advertised as: Cotton Tipper, Dryer Feeder, Feeder, Lug Loader, Machine Feeder, Offbearer.
Pay
How much do Machine Feeders and Offbearers make?
Every machine feeder and offbearer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$41,220
Middle half earn $36,420 to $48,480
- 10th
- $32,220
- 25th
- $36,420
- 75th
- $48,480
- 90th
- $58,160
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $32,220 |
| 25th | $36,420 |
| Median | $41,220 |
| 75th | $48,480 |
| 90th | $58,160 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $41,220
- Median hourly wage
- $19.82/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $43,660
- People employed
- 42,330
Versus all US occupations
At $41,220, Machine Feeders and Offbearers earn 19% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $9,760 a year.
Versus transportation and material moving occupations
Inside the Transportation and Material Moving group, where the middle occupation pays $62,840, this is 34% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $58,160 or more while the bottom 10% earn $32,220, a gap of 1.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 8% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Wisconsin pays the most at $55,120, and still leads at $58,579 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Machine Feeders and Offbearers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Wisconsin | $55,120 | $58,579 | 570 |
| 2Wyoming | $51,280 | $55,324 | 30 |
| 3Minnesota | $48,740 | $49,422 | 410 |
| 4Colorado | $48,400 | $46,967 | 650 |
| 5Kansas | $47,930 | $53,215 | 430 |
| 6Missouri | $46,580 | $51,290 | 1,280 |
| 7New Hampshire | $46,580 | $44,718 | 200 |
| 8Washington | $45,600 | $42,612 | 1,040 |
| 9Oregon | $45,580 | $44,098 | 2,390 |
| 10Nebraska | $45,470 | $50,464 | 210 |
Job outlook
Is Machine Feeder and Offbearer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -13.1% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Machine Feeders and Offbearers | −13.1% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Machine Feeders and Offbearers to change -13.1% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 5,500 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 4,000 openings are projected each year, 9.6% of the 41,800 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of hand laborers and material movers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as 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 hand laborers and material movers varies by occupation (see table).
Hand laborers and freight, stock, and material movers will still be needed to move materials in many sectors of the economy. However, some warehouses have installed equipment, such as high-speed conveyors and sorting systems, to increase efficiency.
Getting in
How to become a Machine Feeder and Offbearer
There are usually no formal educational requirements to become a hand laborer or material mover. They typically learn through on-the-job training that lasts 1 month or less.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-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.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as machine feeders and offbearers.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)73%
- Less than a High School Diploma20.7%
- Post-Secondary Certificate4%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree2.3%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 73% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 20.7% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 4% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 2.3% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Machine Feeder and Offbearer do?
Feed materials into or remove materials from machines or equipment that is automatic or tended by other workers.
Hand laborers and material movers manually move freight, stock, or other materials. Some of these workers feed or remove material to or from machines, clean vehicles, pick up unwanted household goods, and pack materials for moving.
Day-to-day tasks
- Clean and maintain machinery, equipment, and work areas to ensure proper functioning and safe working conditions.
- Record production and operational data, such as amount of materials processed.
- Inspect materials and products for defects, and to ensure conformance to specifications.
- Push dual control buttons and move controls to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment.
- Weigh or measure materials or products to ensure conformance to specifications.
- Identify and mark materials, products, and samples, following instructions.
- Transfer materials and products to and from machinery and equipment, using industrial trucks or hand trucks.
- Fasten, package, or stack materials and products, using hand tools and fastening equipment.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most hand laborers and material movers work full time, although part-time work is common. Work schedules vary and may include nights and weekends.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantLittle or no dealing with customers or the public.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. 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
- Monitoring3.0
- Reading Comprehension2.8
- Active Listening2.8
- Speaking2.8
- Critical Thinking2.5
- Writing2.4
- Mathematics2.1
- Active Learning2.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.8 |
| Active Listening | 2.8 |
| Speaking | 2.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 2.5 |
| Writing | 2.4 |
| Mathematics | 2.1 |
| Active Learning | 2.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operations Monitoring3.4
- Troubleshooting2.8
- Quality Control Analysis2.8
- Operation and Control2.6
- Social Perceptiveness2.5
- Coordination2.5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.5
- Time Management2.5
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.4 |
| Troubleshooting | 2.8 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 2.8 |
| Operation and Control | 2.6 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.5 |
| Coordination | 2.5 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.5 |
| Time Management | 2.5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Industrial control software
- Time accounting software
“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 Machine Feeder and Offbearer?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Machine Feeder and Offbearer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 4 |
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.
- Realistic7.0
- Conventional4.5
- Investigative2.1
- Artistic1.0
- Social1.0
- Enterprising1.0
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 Machine Feeder and Offbearer
O*NET related occupations
- Production
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender
$46,570median a year
Most earn $36K to $61K
−0.9%High school - Production
Adhesive Bonding Machine Operator and Tender
$46,460median a year
Most earn $31K to $61K
+1.3%High school - Production
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender
$45,760median a year
Most earn $35K to $63K
+1.5%High school - Production
Woodworking Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Except Sawing
$43,380median a year
Most earn $32K to $57K
−2.5%High school - Production
Paper Goods Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender
$50,270median a year
Most earn $37K to $70K
−3.6%High school - Production
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic
$46,550median a year
Most earn $36K to $63K
−10.8%High school
More transportation and material moving careers
Median annual pay, with machine feeders and offbearers highlighted
- Airline Pilot$232,140
- Commercial Pilot$123,220
- Locomotive Engineer$81,410
- Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster$78,000
- Crane and Tower Operator$68,080
- Flight Attendant$63,580
- Truck Driver$58,640
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector$49,690
- Machine Feeder and Offbearer$41,220
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Airline Pilot | $232,140 |
| Commercial Pilot | $123,220 |
| Locomotive Engineer | $81,410 |
| Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster | $78,000 |
| Crane and Tower Operator | $68,080 |
| Flight Attendant | $63,580 |
| Truck Driver | $58,640 |
| Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector | $49,690 |
| Machine Feeder and Offbearer | $41,220 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Machine Feeder and Offbearer appears on
Questions
Machine Feeder and Offbearer: frequently asked questions
How much do Machine Feeders and Offbearers make?
Machine Feeders and Offbearers earn a median of $41,220 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 19% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $19.82/hr. The middle half earn between $36,420 and $48,480. The top 10% earn $58,160 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Machine Feeder and Offbearer?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Machine Feeders and Offbearers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 73.0% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Machine Feeder and Offbearer a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 13.1% over 2025–2035, a loss of 5,500 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 4,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Machine Feeder and Offbearer do?
Hand laborers and material movers manually move freight, stock, or other materials. A core O*NET task: clean and maintain machinery, equipment, and work areas to ensure proper functioning and safe working conditions. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Spreadsheet software.
Which states pay Machine Feeders and Offbearers the most?
The highest state medians for Machine Feeders and Offbearers are Wisconsin ($55,120), Wyoming ($51,280), Minnesota ($48,740) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Machine Feeder and Offbearer?
O*NET scores Machine Feeders and Offbearers 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 1,731 careers in the bank.