AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 51-9111.00
Will AI replace Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders?
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders: AI can already handle 3 of 20 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 20 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders, from most to least exposed. 3 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attach identification labels to finished packaged items, or cut stencils and stencil information on containers, such as lot numbers or shipping destinations. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Sort, grade, weigh, and inspect products, verifying and adjusting product weight or measurement to meet specifications. | Estimated | Standard | |
| 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. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Inspect and remove defective products and packaging material. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Clean, oil, and make minor adjustments or repairs to machinery and equipment, such as opening valves or setting guides. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Stop or reset machines when malfunctions occur, clear machine jams, and report malfunctions to a supervisor. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Observe machine operations to ensure quality and conformity of filled or packaged products to standards. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Remove finished packaged items from machine and separate rejected items. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Monitor the production line, watching for problems such as pile-ups, jams, or glue that isn't sticking properly. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Tend or operate machine that packages product. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Start machine by engaging controls. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Regulate machine flow, speed, or temperature. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Adjust machine components and machine tension and pressure according to size or processing angle of product. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Supply materials to spindles, conveyors, hoppers, or other feeding devices and unload packaged product. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Stack finished packaged items, or wrap protective material around each item, and pack the items in cartons or containers. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Package the product in the form in which it will be sent out, for example, filling bags with flour from a chute or spout. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Count and record finished and rejected packaged items. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean packaging containers, line and pad crates, or assemble cartons to prepare for product packing. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Secure finished packaged items by hand tying, sewing, gluing, stapling, or attaching fastener. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean and remove damaged or otherwise inferior materials to prepare raw products for processing. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 20 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 20 of 20. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A standard-tier model or lower covers 26% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 26% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 75% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 379,060
- Median annual wage
- $43,220
- Middle half of earners
- $36,850 to $49,070
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +4.5%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Packers and Packagers, Hand 73% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure28
- Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 71% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure23
- Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 71% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure20
- Machine Feeders and Offbearers 71% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure16
- Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 70% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure16
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders and AI
Will AI replace Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders?
AI already handles 3 of the 20 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 27 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +4.5% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders?
27 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 20 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 20 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Attach identification labels to finished packaged items, or cut stencils and stencil information on containers, such as lot numbers or shipping destinations; Sort, grade, weigh, and inspect products, verifying and adjusting product weight or measurement to meet specifications; 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. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 26% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 75% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders, and what do they earn?
379,060 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $43,220 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +4.5% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/packaging-and-filling-machine-operators-and-tenders
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