Operate or tend machines to prepare industrial or consumer products for storage or shipment. Includes cannery workers who pack food products.
U.S. Workers
383,860
Median Salary
$40,900
10-Year Growth
+4.5%
Annual Openings
45,300
Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
20 of 20 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Attach identification labels to finished packaged items, or cut stencils and stencil information on containers, such as lot numbers or shipping destinations.
AI: Fully automatable - Labeling and stencil marking are standard, highly automated packaging operations that AI-controlled machinery can fully perform.
Sort, grade, weigh, and inspect products, verifying and adjusting product weight or measurement to meet specifications.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated scales, vision/AI grading systems, and process controls can sort, weigh, inspect, and adjust packaging to meet specifications in modern lines.
Observe machine operations to ensure quality and conformity of filled or packaged products to standards.
AI: Fully automatable - Machine vision and AI systems can continuously observe operations and flag or reject nonconforming filled or packaged products, providing effective automated quality monitoring.
Remove finished packaged items from machine and separate rejected items.
AI: Fully automatable - High-speed robotic pick-and-place combined with machine vision can reliably remove finished items and sort out rejects on modern packaging lines.
Inspect and remove defective products and packaging material.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated machine-vision inspection systems plus robotic reject mechanisms can identify and remove many defective products and packaging materials.
Start machine by engaging controls.
AI: Fully automatable - Starting machines is a straightforward control action routinely automated via PLCs and supervisory systems (with safety interlocks).
Regulate machine flow, speed, or temperature.
AI: Fully automatable - Flow, speed and temperature are standard process-control variables managed automatically by PLCs and advanced AI-driven control systems.
Adjust machine components and machine tension and pressure according to size or processing angle of product.
AI: Fully automatable - Modern packaging equipment commonly includes automatic tension, pressure and size-change systems that can adjust components per product specifications.
Supply materials to spindles, conveyors, hoppers, or other feeding devices and unload packaged product.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated feeders, conveyors, AGVs and palletizers routinely handle material supply and unloading of packaged product in contemporary facilities.
Package the product in the form in which it will be sent out, for example, filling bags with flour from a chute or spout.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated filling and bagging machines with sensors and PLC/robotic control routinely perform precise filling from chutes/spouts without human intervention.
Stack finished packaged items, or wrap protective material around each item, and pack the items in cartons or containers.
AI: Fully automatable - Case packers, palletizers and wrap machines perform stacking, protective wrapping and carton packing automatically in most production environments.
Count and record finished and rejected packaged items.
AI: Fully automatable - Vision systems, counters, barcode/RFID readers and integrated MES software can reliably count and log finished and rejected items automatically.
Stop or reset machines when malfunctions occur, clear machine jams, and report malfunctions to a supervisor.
AI: Partial - AI can detect faults and perform simple resets or jam-clearing, but complex troubleshooting, repairs, and nuanced decision-making still require human intervention.
Monitor the production line, watching for problems such as pile-ups, jams, or glue that isn't sticking properly.
AI: Partial - Vision and sensor systems detect jams and pile-ups well, but subtler issues like inconsistent glue adhesion or complex root-cause diagnosis still often require human judgment.
Tend or operate machine that packages product.
AI: Partial - While many operating/tending functions are automatable, tending often includes exception handling, changeovers, and judgment calls that still require human intervention.
Clean, oil, and make minor adjustments or repairs to machinery and equipment, such as opening valves or setting guides.
AI: Partial - Some routine lubrication and minor automated adjustments are possible, but cleaning, fine mechanical tweaks, and repairs generally need human dexterity and judgment.
Stock and sort product for packaging or filling machine operation, and replenish packaging supplies, such as wrapping paper, plastic sheet, boxes, cartons, glue, ink, or labels.
AI: Partial - Conveyors, automatic feeders and roll dispensers can handle many replenishment tasks but complex sorting and varied refilling still often require human intervention.
Clean packaging containers, line and pad crates, or assemble cartons to prepare for product packing.
AI: Partial - Carton erectors and CIP systems automate many aspects, but lining, delicate padding and irregular container cleaning often still need manual work or bespoke robotics.
Clean and remove damaged or otherwise inferior materials to prepare raw products for processing.
AI: Partial - Optical sorters and automated reject mechanisms handle many defect-removal tasks, but nuanced quality judgments and variable raw inputs frequently need human oversight.
Secure finished packaged items by hand tying, sewing, gluing, stapling, or attaching fastener.
AI: Partial - Many sealing, stapling, gluing and banding operations are automated, but hand-tying and varied fastener tasks still require human dexterity in many setups.