Machine Feeders and Offbearers: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Transportation and Material Moving · SOC 53-7063 · O*NET 53-7063.00
Feed materials into or remove materials from machines or equipment that is automatic or tended by other workers.
Machine Feeders and Offbearers fall under the Transportation and Material Moving category in the U.S. occupational classification. Machine Feeders and Offbearers earn a median salary of $41,220 per year, ranking in the top 87% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -13.1% job growth through 2035, projected to lose jobs through 2035. Entry into this field typically requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do machine feeders and offbearers earn?
The median annual wage for machine feeders and offbearers is $41,220. That puts machine feeders and offbearers at #717 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $32,220 |
| 25th percentile | $36,420 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $41,220 |
| 75th percentile | $48,480 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $58,160 |
| Median hourly wage | $19.82/hr |
Is machine feeders and offbearers a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for machine feeders and offbearers is -13.1%, projected to lose jobs through 2035. Employment is projected to move from approximately 41K positions in 2024 to 36K in 2034, a net change of <1K. A declining outlook does not mean the field is disappearing; it means automation, demographics, or substitution effects are shrinking the pool of openings. Students entering a declining field should plan for adjacent skills that transfer to growing roles.
What do machine feeders and offbearers do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working machine feeders and offbearers, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Identify and mark materials, products, and samples, following instructions.
- 2.Transfer materials and products to and from machinery and equipment, using industrial trucks or hand trucks.
- 3.Weigh or measure materials or products to ensure conformance to specifications.
- 4.Inspect materials and products for defects, and to ensure conformance to specifications.
- 5.Record production and operational data, such as amount of materials processed.
- 6.Clean and maintain machinery, equipment, and work areas to ensure proper functioning and safe working conditions.
- 7.Fasten, package, or stack materials and products, using hand tools and fastening equipment.
- 8.Push dual control buttons and move controls to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment.
Top skills for machine feeders and offbearers
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become machine feeders and offbearer?
Many machine feeders and offbearers enter the field with a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, though employers increasingly favor candidates with certifications or some postsecondary coursework. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents: what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about machine feeders and offbearers
What is the median salary for machine feeders and offbearers?
The median annual salary for machine feeders and offbearers is $41,220 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is machine feeders and offbearers a growing career?
BLS projects -13.1% growth for machine feeders and offbearers from 2025 through 2035, which is declining growth projected to lose jobs through 2035.
What education does my child need to become machine feeders and offbearer?
The typical entry path requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to machine feeders and offbearers?
Related occupations within the Transportation and Material Moving category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 release.