Compacting Machine Operator

Explore This Path

Ideal for those who love hands-on work with diverse materials and machinery.
Shape essential products that impact daily life, from glassware to cosmetics.
Unique role in crafting everyday items with precision and skill.

💰 Earn $38K-$53K

📚 High School Diploma or GED

⏱️ 6–12 MONTH TRAINING

📈 2.7% JOB GROWTH

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What You’ll Do

Set up, operate, or tend machines, such as glass-forming machines, plodder machines, and tuber machines, to shape and form products such as glassware, food, rubber, soap, brick, tile, clay, wax, tobacco, or cosmetics.

Adjust machine components to regulate speeds, pressures, and temperatures, and amounts, dimensions, and flow of materials or ingredients.
Press control buttons to activate machinery and equipment.
Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to standards, using measuring devices such as templates, micrometers, or scales.
Monitor machine operations and observe lights and gauges to detect malfunctions.
Clear jams, and remove defective or substandard materials or products.

Scoop

Minimum Education

High School Diploma or GED

Career Prospects

Good (Increasing by 1-5%)

Training Time

6 months to 1 year

Job Openings

5,800 Annually

Median Earnings

$45,920 in California

$42,670 Nationally

$25K

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Best For You If...

YOU Like 💕

Thinking and problem solving
Using data or completing tasks
Working with my hands

You are skilled in 💫

Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Monitoring
Operation and Control
Operations Monitoring
Speaking

You value 🙏

Having support
Having freedom
Personal relationships

Deep Dive

Compacting Machine Operator

Explore career pathways, key skills, and what each role has to offer.

Pathways to this Career

Learn about the education and training paths that can lead to this career — and what to expect from each one.

Strategic Employment

Strategic employment provides individuals with valuable work experience, opportunities for professional growth and networking, and exposure to an industry where they may want to pursue advancement.

🎓 Paid Work

⏱️ FINISH IN 1-3 years

Vocational School

A vocational school typically equips students with specialized skills and practical training in specific trades or occupations, enhancing their employability and providing direct pathways to relevant careers.

🎓 Skills-Focused

⏱️ FINISH IN 6 months - 2 years

Workforce Development Program

A workforce development program typically enhances participants' opportunities to succeed in the workforce through employment skill-building, career counseling, connections to employers, and pathways to high-demand and high-wage jobs.

🎓 Skills-Focused

⏱️ FINISH IN 6 months - 2 years

Apprenticeship

An apprenticeship typically offers a combination of hands-on training and classroom instruction, leading to practical skills, industry-specific knowledge, and the potential for long-term employment in a specific trade or profession.

🎓 Paid Work

⏱️ FINISH IN 2-5 years