Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-9191

Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders

Median pay sits 38% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, Model Makers, Metal and Plastic, Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers, Tool and Die Makers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($123K) , Model Makers, Metal and Plastic ($63K) , Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers ($65K) , Tool and Die Makers ($64K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-9191 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Align and position materials being joined to ensure accurate application of adhesive or heat sealing
  2. 2. Adjust machine components according to specifications such as widths, lengths, and thickness of materials and amounts of glue, cement, or…
  3. 3. Monitor machine operations to detect malfunctions and report or resolve problems
  4. 4. Start machines, and turn valves or move controls to feed, admit, apply, or transfer materials and adhesives, and to adjust temperature, p…
  5. 5. Fill machines with glue, cement, or adhesives
  6. 6. Perform test production runs and make adjustments as necessary to ensure that completed products meet standards and specifications
  7. 7. Examine and measure completed materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices such as tape measure…
  8. 8. Read work orders and communicate with coworkers to determine machine and equipment settings and adjustments and supply and product specif…
  9. 9. Remove and stack completed materials or products, and restock materials to be joined
  10. 10. Observe gauges, meters, and control panels to obtain information about equipment temperatures and pressures, or the speed of feeders or c…
  11. 11. Maintain production records such as quantities, dimensions, and thicknesses of materials processed
  12. 12. Remove jammed materials from machines and readjust components as necessary to resume normal operations

Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders: O*NET ranks Operation and Control first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-9191 - lead skill Operation and Control at 3.9 ; lead knowledge Production and Processing. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operation and Control 3.9
  2. 2. Operations Monitoring 3.8
  3. 3. Active Listening 3.1
  4. 4. Speaking 3.1
  5. 5. Monitoring 3.1
  6. 6. Quality Control Analysis 3.1
  7. 7. Reading Comprehension 3.0
  8. 8. Coordination 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Production and Processing 4.0
  2. 2. Mechanical 3.7
  3. 3. English Language 3.4
  4. 4. Mathematics 3.0
  5. 5. Customer and Personal Service 3.0
  6. 6. Education and Training 2.9
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-38%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $46,460/yr
$46K
National median
↑ +1%
Growth 2024-2034
1,300
Annual openings
11,500
Estimated US jobs
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
Highest-pay peer · $123K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders

1. Minnesota $56,540
2. Utah $65,500
3. Pennsylvania $53,320
4. Oregon $50,050
5. Idaho $57,670
6. Wisconsin $50,290
7. Washington $56,580
8. Oklahoma $59,980
9. New Jersey $59,170
10. Kentucky $52,140

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers $65,380
  2. 2. Nuclear Power Reactor Operators $122,890
  3. 3. Tool and Die Makers $64,050
  4. 4. First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,450
  5. 5. Model Makers, Metal and Plastic $63,340
  6. 6. Power Distributors and Dispatchers $106,730

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders sits 38% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $46,460.

Employment Projections expect +1% change between 2024 and 2034 (slower than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,300 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Minnesota at $56,540. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators at $122,890. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders pay-rank #58 in Production Occupations

Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders sits at pay-rank #58 of 105 detailed Production Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 51-9191 · national median $46,460 · middle third of Production Occupations (#58/105). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-9191

Minnesota · top state for Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders

$57K published median

Utah · #2 state pay

$66K · behind Minnesota

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders · $123K

Model Makers, Metal and Plastic

Lower-pay peer beside Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders · $63K

Compare Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders

Against another occupation

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders mid-table among Production Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #58 of 105 detailed Production Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ($47K), Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($47K), Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers ($46K), Upholsterers ($46K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders. Leading ones include: Align and position materials being joined to ensure accurate application of adhesive or heat sealing; Adjust machine components according to specifications such as widths, lengths, and thickness of materials and amounts of glue, cement, or…; Monitor machine operations to detect malfunctions and report or resolve problems; Start machines, and turn valves or move controls to feed, admit, apply, or transfer materials and adhesives, and to adjust temperature, p…. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders? ▼
For SOC 51-9191, O*NET importance scores lead with Operation and Control (3.9), Operations Monitoring (3.8), Active Listening (3.1), Speaking (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Production and Processing, Mechanical, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $46,460 as the national median for Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders. The published 10th-90th range is $31,460 to $60,810. Beside Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($122,890), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders is +1%. Projected annual openings: about 1,300. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: slower than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders? ▼
Minnesota ($56,540), Utah ($65,500), Pennsylvania ($53,320) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-9191. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics