51 Series · SOC 51-9191
Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $46,460
- Median / year
- $60,810
- Top 10% earn
- +1%
- Growth '23–'33
- 11,500
- US workers
Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders earn a median of $46,460 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $46,460, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $31,460 (10th percentile) to $60,810 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 11,500 US workers. Utah pays the most ($65,500), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders earn a median of $46,460, putting them among the lower-paid US occupations and higher than 24% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Production, it ranks #58 of 105 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 1% by 2033.
- $46,460
- Median annual wage
- Top 76%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #58 of 105
- in Production
- 1.9×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Utah at $65,500. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders (SOC 51-9191) pays a national median of $46,460 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $31,460 at the 10th percentile to $60,810 at the 90th, with a mean of $46,850 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 11,500 Americans work in this occupation across 36 reporting states and 66 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +1% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as slower than average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 1,300 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is High school diploma or equivalent and moderate-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of B for this role, with a fatality rate of 3.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 3.2 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Utah pays the highest state median at $65,500, which is +41% above the national figure. The top metro is Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA at $100,830 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$46,460
per year
Median Hourly
$22.34/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$46,850
average
Employment
11,500
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$46,460 Bottom 24% higher than 24% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 51-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 23 51-series occupations with growth data, Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders sits on the slower-growing side at +1% growth and $46,460 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+1%
Slower than average
Annual Openings
1,300
per year (projected)
Typical Education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-Job Training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
3.5/100K
Injury Rate
3.2/100
Danger Index
14.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ 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 adhesive required.
- ▸ 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, pressure, and time settings.
- ▸ Fill machines with glue, cement, or adhesives.
- ▸ Perform test production runs and make adjustments as necessary to ensure that completed products meet standards and specifications.
- ▸ Examine and measure completed materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices such as tape measures, gauges, or calipers.
- ▸ Read work orders and communicate with coworkers to determine machine and equipment settings and adjustments and supply and product specifications.
- ▸ Remove and stack completed materials or products, and restock materials to be joined.
- ▸ Observe gauges, meters, and control panels to obtain information about equipment temperatures and pressures, or the speed of feeders or conveyors.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$31,460
25th Percentile
$37,220
Median
$46,460
75th Percentile
$53,610
90th Percentile
$60,810
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 36 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah | $65,500 | +41% above national |
| 2 | Oklahoma | $59,980 | +29% above national |
| 3 | New Jersey | $59,170 | +27% above national |
| 4 | Idaho | $57,670 | +24% above national |
| 5 | Washington | $56,580 | +22% above national |
| 6 | Minnesota | $56,540 | +22% above national |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $53,320 | +15% above national |
| 8 | Kentucky | $52,140 | +12% above national |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $50,290 | +8% above national |
| 10 | Oregon | $50,050 | +8% above national |
| 11 | Colorado | $49,920 | +7% above national |
| 12 | Arkansas | $49,770 | +7% above national |
| 13 | Ohio | $49,390 | +6% above national |
| 14 | Connecticut | $49,280 | +6% above national |
| 15 | Iowa | $49,220 | +6% above national |
| 16 | Texas | $48,450 | +4% above national |
| 17 | Kansas | $47,490 | +2% above national |
| 18 | Virginia | $47,250 | +2% above national |
| 19 | South Carolina | $47,000 | +1% above national |
| 20 | Georgia | $46,350 | same as national |
| 21 | Michigan | $45,470 | 2% below national |
| 22 | Nevada | $45,320 | 2% below national |
| 23 | Maine | $43,960 | 5% below national |
| 24 | Nebraska | $43,230 | 7% below national |
| 25 | Tennessee | $42,830 | 8% below national |
| 26 | New York | $42,130 | 9% below national |
| 27 | Arizona | $41,600 | 10% below national |
| 28 | California | $40,440 | 13% below national |
| 29 | Indiana | $40,380 | 13% below national |
| 30 | Massachusetts | $39,250 | 16% below national |
| 31 | Missouri | $38,340 | 17% below national |
| 32 | Alabama | $37,790 | 19% below national |
| 33 | North Carolina | $34,830 | 25% below national |
| 34 | Florida | $34,650 | 25% below national |
| 35 | Maryland | $33,540 | 28% below national |
| 36 | Mississippi | $31,250 | 33% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 66 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $100,830 | +117% above national |
| 2 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $61,400 | +32% above national |
| 3 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $60,290 | +30% above national |
| 4 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $57,400 | +24% above national |
| 5 | Gettysburg, PA | $56,240 | +21% above national |
| 6 | Medford, OR | $54,850 | +18% above national |
| 7 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $54,840 | +18% above national |
| 8 | Green Bay, WI | $52,000 | +12% above national |
| 9 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $51,560 | +11% above national |
| 10 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $51,540 | +11% above national |
| 11 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $51,410 | +11% above national |
| 12 | Boise City, ID | $51,190 | +10% above national |
| 13 | North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) | $51,150 | +10% above national |
| 14 | West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $51,040 | +10% above national |
| 15 | Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $51,040 | +10% above national |
| 16 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $50,850 | +9% above national |
| 17 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $50,720 | +9% above national |
| 18 | Northwestern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $50,040 | +8% above national |
| 19 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $49,930 | +7% above national |
| 20 | South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $49,770 | +7% above national |
| 21 | Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $49,410 | +6% above national |
| 22 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $49,180 | +6% above national |
| 23 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $48,820 | +5% above national |
| 24 | Joplin, MO-KS | $48,050 | +3% above national |
| 25 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $47,650 | +3% above national |
| 26 | Rochester, NY | $47,550 | +2% above national |
| 27 | Wichita, KS | $47,490 | +2% above national |
| 28 | Syracuse, NY | $47,240 | +2% above national |
| 29 | Cleveland, OH | $47,220 | +2% above national |
| 30 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $47,100 | +1% above national |
| 31 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $46,960 | +1% above national |
| 32 | Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area | $46,670 | same as national |
| 33 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $46,450 | same as national |
| 34 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $46,090 | 1% below national |
| 35 | Western Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $45,250 | 3% below national |
| 36 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $45,100 | 3% below national |
| 37 | Columbus, OH | $45,090 | 3% below national |
| 38 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $45,030 | 3% below national |
| 39 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $44,570 | 4% below national |
| 40 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $44,410 | 4% below national |
| 41 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $44,240 | 5% below national |
| 42 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $43,820 | 6% below national |
| 43 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $43,660 | 6% below national |
| 44 | Richmond, VA | $43,020 | 7% below national |
| 45 | Albany, OR | $41,710 | 10% below national |
| 46 | Akron, OH | $40,820 | 12% below national |
| 47 | Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $40,380 | 13% below national |
| 48 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $39,780 | 14% below national |
| 49 | Knoxville, TN | $39,520 | 15% below national |
| 50 | South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | $39,360 | 15% below national |
| 51 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $38,560 | 17% below national |
| 52 | Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $38,480 | 17% below national |
| 53 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $38,370 | 17% below national |
| 54 | Elkhart-Goshen, IN | $38,340 | 17% below national |
| 55 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $37,740 | 19% below national |
| 56 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $37,100 | 20% below national |
| 57 | Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $36,660 | 21% below national |
| 58 | Springfield, MA | $36,650 | 21% below national |
| 59 | Winston-Salem, NC | $36,070 | 22% below national |
| 60 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $34,790 | 25% below national |
| 61 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $34,650 | 25% below national |
| 62 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $34,550 | 26% below national |
| 63 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $33,870 | 27% below national |
| 64 | Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $31,250 | 33% below national |
| 65 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $30,400 | 35% below national |
| 66 | Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $28,240 | 39% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 51 (production) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders make? ▼
What state pays Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders? ▼
How dangerous is being a Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders? ▼
Is Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders a good career? ▼
How does Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $53,610/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Utah leads at $65,500/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.