Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $33,250 | $15.98 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $44,810 | $21.54 |
| Mean (average) | $45,930 | $22.08 |
| 90th percentile | $62,680 | $30.14 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 44 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $55,280 | $40,970 | $57,200 | 30 | 0.76 |
| Arizona | $43,010 | $35,270 | $58,630 | 90 | 0.21 |
| Arkansas | $45,080 | $37,270 | $49,960 | 580 | 3.43 |
| California | $45,600 | $35,820 | $62,020 | 1,630 | 0.68 |
| Colorado | $59,590 | $38,640 | $74,420 | 500 | 1.34 |
| Connecticut | $41,720 | $34,010 | $48,250 | 60 | 0.25 |
| Florida | $35,340 | $27,510 | $48,120 | 360 | 0.27 |
| Georgia | $37,390 | $30,860 | $55,960 | 290 | 0.45 |
| Hawaii | $45,390 | $38,740 | $48,760 | 90 | 1.06 |
| Idaho | $48,250 | $37,910 | $55,860 | 430 | 3.82 |
| Illinois | $38,230 | $36,300 | $56,710 | 440 | 0.55 |
| Indiana | $43,370 | $36,080 | $61,090 | 260 | 0.63 |
| Iowa | $47,960 | $36,480 | $63,340 | 660 | 3.24 |
| Kansas | $44,550 | $37,080 | $47,130 | 220 | 1.17 |
| Kentucky | $48,540 | $27,690 | $64,470 | 340 | 1.3 |
| Louisiana | $38,440 | $26,920 | $47,530 | 80 | 0.33 |
| Maine | $50,220 | $40,130 | $62,680 | 100 | 1.24 |
| Maryland | $60,170 | $39,340 | $78,750 | 200 | 0.55 |
| Massachusetts | $45,400 | $41,360 | $54,390 | 190 | 0.39 |
| Michigan | $48,240 | $35,870 | $62,170 | 700 | 1.22 |
| Minnesota | $50,340 | $41,750 | $71,010 | 1,120 | 2.91 |
| Mississippi | $37,030 | $33,230 | $43,490 | 60 | 0.41 |
| Missouri | $43,460 | $33,380 | $53,910 | 1,030 | 2.67 |
| Montana | $35,360 | $31,960 | $49,260 | 130 | 1.91 |
| Nebraska | $43,410 | $37,770 | $58,330 | 440 | 3.27 |
| Nevada | $54,950 | $44,910 | $65,260 | 130 | 0.63 |
| New Jersey | $37,140 | $34,880 | $45,560 | 630 | 1.12 |
| New Mexico | $35,480 | $31,680 | $44,960 | 70 | 0.58 |
| New York | $49,020 | $35,690 | $61,150 | 1,370 | 1.08 |
| North Carolina | $35,980 | $27,230 | $77,980 | 1,510 | 2.33 |
| North Dakota | $77,300 | $47,090 | $77,320 | 30 | 0.54 |
| Ohio | $44,190 | $33,280 | $47,090 | 910 | 1.25 |
| Oklahoma | $42,390 | $30,150 | $46,540 | 370 | 1.67 |
| Oregon | $46,250 | $35,900 | $65,010 | 500 | 1.94 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,660 | $33,500 | $61,290 | 540 | 0.69 |
| South Carolina | $40,000 | $33,810 | $50,220 | 140 | 0.47 |
| South Dakota | $45,040 | $37,040 | $60,220 | 120 | 2.05 |
| Tennessee | $39,130 | $31,510 | $55,090 | 350 | 0.83 |
| Texas | $37,140 | $26,840 | $49,360 | 1,800 | 0.98 |
| Utah | $47,940 | $37,550 | $52,060 | 130 | 0.56 |
| Vermont | $40,990 | $40,260 | $54,070 | 80 | 2.08 |
| Virginia | $59,260 | $34,790 | $84,520 | 270 | 0.49 |
| Washington | $50,590 | $37,500 | $73,290 | 720 | 1.54 |
| Wisconsin | $48,560 | $38,120 | $60,740 | 540 | 1.39 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 2,500. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 8.3%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- NO MATCH CIP 99.9999
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Weigh or measure products, using scale hoppers or scale conveyors.
- Operate or tend equipment that roasts, bakes, dries, or cures food items such as cocoa and coffee beans, grains, nuts, and bakery products.
- Signal coworkers to synchronize flow of materials.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Email software
Transferable skills for career changers: Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Quality Control Analysis, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Complex Problem Solving.
Common job titles: Bean Roaster, Coffee Roaster, Line Operator, Machine Operator, Oven Operator, Oven Technician, Roast Master, Roaster, Roaster Operator, Roasterman.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders make?
The national median annual wage for food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders was $44,810 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $33,250 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $62,680. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders need?
BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders a growing career?
BLS projects employment of food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders to change +0.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 2,500 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were North Dakota ($77,300), Maryland ($60,170), Colorado ($59,590). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.