BLS metro-level wage data places Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders pay in Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT at a median of $37,240 per year ($17.90/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $43,220, Norwich-New London-Willimantic pays 14% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 40 packaging and filling machine operators and tenderss are employed across the Norwich-New London-Willimantic MSA in SOC 51-9111.

The Norwich-New London-Willimantic pay distribution spans from $34,380 at the 10th percentile to $56,340 at the 90th — a 1.6× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $36,370 and the 75th at $45,070, so half of Norwich-New London-Willimantic-based packaging and filling machine operators and tenderss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide CT data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.