Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 53-7063

Machine Feeders and Offbearers

Median pay sits 49% below the mid peer in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (neighbors include Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers, Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers, Commercial Pilots, Air Traffic Controllers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Machine Feeders and Offbearers: Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers ($232K) , Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers ($69K) , Commercial Pilots ($123K) , Air Traffic Controllers ($148K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Machine Feeders and Offbearers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 53-7063 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Inspect materials and products for defects, and to ensure conformance to specifications
  2. 2. Record production and operational data, such as amount of materials processed
  3. 3. Push dual control buttons and move controls to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment
  4. 4. Weigh or measure materials or products to ensure conformance to specifications
  5. 5. Identify and mark materials, products, and samples, following instructions
  6. 6. Clean and maintain machinery, equipment, and work areas to ensure proper functioning and safe working conditions
  7. 7. Load materials and products into machines and equipment, or onto conveyors, using hand tools and moving devices
  8. 8. Remove materials and products from machines and equipment, and place them in boxes, trucks or conveyors, using hand tools and moving devices
  9. 9. Transfer materials and products to and from machinery and equipment, using industrial trucks or hand trucks
  10. 10. Shovel or scoop materials into containers, machines, or equipment for processing, storage, or transport
  11. 11. Open and close gates of belt and pneumatic conveyors on machines that are fed directly from preceding machines
  12. 12. Fasten, package, or stack materials and products, using hand tools and fastening equipment

Machine Feeders and Offbearers: O*NET ranks Operations Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 53-7063 - lead skill Operations Monitoring at 3.4 ; lead knowledge Production and Processing. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 3.4
  2. 2. Monitoring 3.0
  3. 3. Reading Comprehension 2.8
  4. 4. Active Listening 2.8
  5. 5. Speaking 2.8
  6. 6. Troubleshooting 2.8
  7. 7. Quality Control Analysis 2.8
  8. 8. Operation and Control 2.6

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Production and Processing 3.4
  2. 2. Mechanical 3.1
  3. 3. Mathematics 3.0
  4. 4. English Language 2.9
  5. 5. Public Safety and Security 2.7
  6. 6. Education and Training 2.7
Pay vs Transportation and Material Moving Occupations peers
-49%
vs mid peer median $81,410
This role $41,220/yr
$41K
National median
↓ -13%
Growth 2024-2034
4,700
Annual openings
42,330
Estimated US jobs
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Highest-pay peer · $232K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

Top Paying States for Machine Feeders and Offbearers

1. Missouri $46,580
2. Wyoming $51,280
3. Nebraska $45,470
4. Oregon $45,580
5. Wisconsin $55,120
6. Washington $45,600
7. Minnesota $48,740
8. New Hampshire $46,580
9. Kansas $47,930
10. Colorado $48,400

Other Transportation and Material Moving Occupations titles

  1. 1. Commercial Pilots $123,220
  2. 2. Air Traffic Controllers $148,080
  3. 3. Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers $68,840
  4. 4. Transportation Inspectors $92,100
  5. 5. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $232,140
  6. 6. Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels $92,460

Among Transportation and Material Moving Occupations peers on this card, Machine Feeders and Offbearers sits 49% below the mid peer median ($81,410). Its own median is $41,220.

Employment Projections expect -13% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 4,700 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential 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: Missouri at $46,580. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers at $232,140. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Machine Feeders and Offbearers pay-rank #38 in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

On the Transportation and Material Moving Occupations median table (50 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Machine Feeders and Offbearers lands at #38, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third 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 53-7063 · national median $41,220 · lower third of Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (#38/50). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Machine Feeders and Offbearers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 53-7063

Missouri · top state for Machine Feeders and Offbearers

$47K published median

Wyoming · #2 state pay

$51K · behind Missouri

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

Highest-pay peer vs Machine Feeders and Offbearers · $232K

Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers

Lower-pay peer beside Machine Feeders and Offbearers · $69K

Compare Machine Feeders and Offbearers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Machine Feeders and Offbearers with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Machine Feeders and Offbearers

Against another occupation

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Machine Feeders and Offbearers land on the Transportation and Material Moving Occupations median table? ▼
Machine Feeders and Offbearers is pay-rank #38 of 50 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Material Moving Workers, All Other ($42K), Aircraft Service Attendants ($40K), Taxi Drivers ($42K), Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand ($40K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do machine feeders and offbearers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Machine Feeders and Offbearers. Leading ones include: Inspect materials and products for defects, and to ensure conformance to specifications; Record production and operational data, such as amount of materials processed; Push dual control buttons and move controls to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment; Weigh or measure materials or products to ensure conformance to specifications. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for machine feeders and offbearers? ▼
For SOC 53-7063, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (3.4), Monitoring (3.0), Reading Comprehension (2.8), Active Listening (2.8). Knowledge areas emphasize Production and Processing, Mechanical, Mathematics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Machine Feeders and Offbearers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $41,220 as the national median for Machine Feeders and Offbearers. The published 10th-90th range is $32,220 to $58,160. Beside Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers ($232,140), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Machine Feeders and Offbearers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Machine Feeders and Offbearers is -13%. Projected annual openings: about 4,700. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Machine Feeders and Offbearers? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Machine Feeders and Offbearers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Machine Feeders and Offbearers? ▼
Missouri ($46,580), Wyoming ($51,280), Nebraska ($45,470) 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 Machine Feeders and Offbearers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 53-7063. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Machine Feeders and Offbearers. 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