Conveyor Operators and Tenders Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for conveyor operators and tenders in the U.S. is $42,420 ($20.39 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $42,420
- Mean annual wage
- $45,080
- Median hourly wage
- $20.39
- Employment
- 22,930
22,930 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,180 | $17.39 |
| 25th percentile | $38,180 | $18.35 |
| Median (50th) | $42,420 | $20.39 |
| 75th percentile | $48,530 | $23.33 |
| 90th percentile | $59,470 | $28.59 |
Highest-paying states for conveyor operators and tenders
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | $62,830 | 580 |
| Iowa | $56,900 | 590 |
| Maryland | $56,120 | 30 |
| Alabama | $55,970 | 210 |
| Louisiana | $54,590 | 210 |
| Wyoming | $52,480 | 120 |
| New Jersey | $50,750 | 210 |
| Utah | $48,620 | 140 |
| North Dakota | $47,770 | 80 |
| Indiana | $46,300 | 610 |
Lowest-paying states
- Oklahoma: $36,200 median annual wage
- Arkansas: $36,940 median annual wage
- South Carolina: $38,020 median annual wage
- Florida: $38,190 median annual wage
- Tennessee: $38,260 median annual wage
About this occupation
Control or tend conveyors or conveyor systems that move materials or products to and from stockpiles, processing stations, departments, or vehicles. May control speed and routing of materials or products.
Typical tasks
- Observe conveyor operations and monitor lights, dials, and gauges to maintain specified operating levels and to detect equipment malfunctions.
- Press console buttons to deflect packages to predetermined accumulators or reject lines.
- Contact workers in work stations or other departments to request movement of materials, products, or machinery, or to notify them of incoming shipments and their estimated delivery times.
- Join sections of conveyor frames at temporary working areas, and connect power units.
- Clean, sterilize, and maintain equipment, machinery, and work stations, using hand tools, shovels, brooms, chemicals, hoses, and lubricants.
- Move, assemble, and connect hoses or nozzles to material hoppers, storage tanks, conveyor sections or chutes, and pumps.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: No formal educational credential
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 23.3% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 47.6% |
| Some college, no degree | 17.4% |
| Associate's degree | 6.6% |
| Bachelor's degree | 4.3% |
| Master's degree | 0.4% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.3% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand$40,240
- Stockers and Order Fillers$37,330
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers$58,640
- Light Truck Drivers$44,860
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators$46,420
- First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors$62,890
- Packers and Packagers, Hand$36,280
- Driver/Sales Workers$38,770
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.