Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders salary by state
Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders is a professional role in the Production job family, focused on Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders work. Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.
What Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenderss do
Typical education: High School Diploma
Observe, feel, taste, or otherwise examine products during and after processing to ensure conformance to standards.
Set temperature and time controls, light ovens, burners, driers, or roasters, and start equipment, such as conveyors, cylinders, blowers, driers, or pumps.
Observe temperature, humidity, pressure gauges, and product samples and adjust controls, such as thermostats and valves, to maintain prescribed operating conditions for specific stages.
Observe flow of materials and listen for machine malfunctions, such as jamming or spillage, and notify supervisors if corrective actions fail.
Record production data, such as weight and amount of product processed, type of product, and time and temperature of processing.
Top skills:Operations MonitoringMonitoringReading ComprehensionQuality Control AnalysisOperation and ControlCritical Thinking
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders salary by industry
Sectors 31, 32, and 33 – Manufacturing
15,990 workers
$48,000
Wholesale Trade
1,330 workers
$47,500
Accommodation and Food Services
840 workers
$50,000
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
760 workers
$37,500
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
570 workers
$43,000
Sectors 44 and 45 – Retail Trade
480 workers
$46,500
Management of Companies and Enterprises$56,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders pays 14% below the average across 105 roles in the Production job family (family average $55,000).
How much does a Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders make?
The average base salary for a Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders in the United States is $47,500 per year, or about $22.84 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $39,000 and $52,500 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Production roles?
The Production job family averages $55,000 across 105 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
