Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earn a median of $48,990 per year ($23.55/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 6.1% through 2035, with about 7,900 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 51-9023
- Production
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Mixing and Blending Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender in four numbers
- Median pay
- $48,990a year, or $23.55/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $37KTop 10% $70K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -6.1%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−6.1%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −6.1% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 7,90097,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202597.3K
- Projected 203591.4K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 97.3K Projected 2035 91.4K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school1.5%
- High school80.3%
- Certificate11.9%
- Some college6.3%
Highest education held by mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders Segment Value Less than high school 1.5% High school 80.3% Certificate 11.9% Some college 6.3%
Also advertised as: Batchmaker, Blender, Blending Technician (Blending Tech), Ink Blender, Issuing Operator, Machine Operator.
Pay
How much do Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders make?
Every mixing and blending machine setter, operator, and tender in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$48,990
Middle half earn $42,850 to $59,860
- 10th
- $36,790
- 25th
- $42,850
- 75th
- $59,860
- 90th
- $70,200
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $36,790 |
| 25th | $42,850 |
| Median | $48,990 |
| 75th | $59,860 |
| 90th | $70,200 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $48,990
- Median hourly wage
- $23.55/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $52,090
- People employed
- 94,920
Versus all US occupations
At $48,990, Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earn 4% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $1,990 a year.
Versus production occupations
The median is typical for the Production group, where the middle occupation pays $48,030.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $70,200 or more while the bottom 10% earn $36,790, a gap of 1.9×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 20% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Massachusetts posts the highest raw median ($60,790), but once local prices are taken into account Wyoming leads at $62,919 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Mixing and Blending 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Massachusetts | $60,790 | $57,481 | 420 |
| 2Minnesota | $59,270 | $60,099 | 1,760 |
| 3Wyoming | $58,320 | $62,919 | 210 |
| 4New Jersey | $57,810 | $53,132 | 2,050 |
| 5Maine | $55,540 | $57,228 | 220 |
| 6Connecticut | $53,830 | $51,954 | 260 |
| 7Washington | $53,800 | $50,274 | 2,270 |
| 8Illinois | $53,560 | $53,583 | 10,240 |
| 9Maryland | $53,480 | $50,953 | 770 |
| 10New York | $53,170 | $49,268 | 4,340 |
Job outlook
Is Mixing and Blending Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -6.1% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | −6.1% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders to change -6.1% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 5,900 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 7,900 openings are projected each year, 8.1% of the 97,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Mixing and Blending Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender
- 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.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)80.3%
- Post-Secondary Certificate11.9%
- Some College Courses6.3%
- Less than a High School Diploma1.5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 80.3% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 11.9% |
| Some College Courses | 6.3% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 1.5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Mixing and Blending Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender do?
Set up, operate, or tend machines to mix or blend materials, such as chemicals, tobacco, liquids, color pigments, or explosive ingredients.
Day-to-day tasks
- Clean work areas.
- Observe production or monitor equipment to ensure safe and efficient operation.
- Weigh or measure materials, ingredients, or products to ensure conformance to requirements.
- Clean and maintain equipment, using hand tools.
- Read work orders to determine production specifications or information.
- Mix or blend ingredients by starting machines and mixing for specified times.
- Stop mixing or blending machines when specified product qualities are obtained and open valves and start pumps to transfer mixtures.
- Transfer materials, supplies, or products between work areas, using moving equipment or hand tools.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
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 timeRegular bending or twisting.
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantLittle or no dealing with customers or the public.
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
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Critical Thinking3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Speaking3.0
- Active Listening2.9
- Writing2.8
- Active Learning2.8
- Learning Strategies2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Speaking | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 2.9 |
| Writing | 2.8 |
| Active Learning | 2.8 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operations Monitoring3.6
- Operation and Control3.6
- Equipment Maintenance3.1
- Troubleshooting3.1
- Repairing3.1
- Quality Control Analysis3.1
- Time Management3.1
- Coordination3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.6 |
| Operation and Control | 3.6 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.1 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.1 |
| Repairing | 3.1 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
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
- Operating system software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query 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 Mixing and Blending Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Mixing and Blending Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender |
|---|---|
| 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.
- Realistic6.6
- Conventional4.2
- Investigative1.9
- Enterprising1.2
- Artistic1.1
- Social1.1
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 Mixing and Blending Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender
O*NET related occupations
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$51,610median a year
Most earn $36K to $80K
−5.7%High school - Production
- Production
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$43,530median a year
Most earn $34K to $59K
+3.4%High school - Production
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Most earn $37K to $69K
−1.7%High school - Production
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$45,760median a year
Most earn $35K to $63K
+1.5%High school - Transportation and Material Moving
More production careers
Median annual pay, with mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders highlighted
- Power Plant Operator$102,040
- Tool and Die Maker$64,050
- Machinist$58,750
- Welder$53,750
- Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter$51,330
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator$50,690
- Mixing and Blending Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender$48,990
- 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 |
| Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter | $51,330 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator | $50,690 |
| Mixing and Blending Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender | $48,990 |
| Butcher and Meat Cutter | $40,140 |
| Baker | $37,160 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Mixing and Blending Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender appears on
Questions
Mixing and Blending Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender: frequently asked questions
How much do Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders make?
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earn a median of $48,990 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 4% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $23.55/hr. The middle half earn between $42,850 and $59,860. The top 10% earn $70,200 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Mixing and Blending Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. 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, 80.3% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Mixing and Blending Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 6.1% over 2025–2035, a loss of 5,900 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 7,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Mixing and Blending Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender do?
Set up, operate, or tend machines to mix or blend materials, such as chemicals, tobacco, liquids, color pigments, or explosive ingredients. A core O*NET task: clean work areas. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Enterprise resource planning ERP software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders the most?
The highest state medians for Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders are Massachusetts ($60,790), Minnesota ($59,270), Wyoming ($58,320) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Wyoming moves to the top at $62,919.
What personality type suits a Mixing and Blending Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender?
O*NET scores Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 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.