Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders
Production
Hearth ovens, kiln driers, roasters, char kilns, and vacuum driers are started and tended so food or tobacco can roast, bake, or dry. Temperature and time controls are set, then gauges for heat, humidity, and pressure are watched so valves and thermostats can be adjusted to hold those conditions on cocoa and coffee beans, grains, nuts, and bakery goods. Products are weighed, felt, or tasted against standards, and weight, time, and temperature are written down. Jams, spills, and odd machine sounds are reported if they cannot be cleared. A fit for people who like watching instruments, holding a process to set limits, and signaling coworkers to keep material moving.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$44'810
Median Wage Market Position
$44'810
What you might do
- Run ovens, roasters, driers, or kilns
- Set temperature and time, then start machines
- Adjust heat, humidity, or pressure as needed
- Check products by look, feel, or taste
- Weigh batches and log times and temperatures
- Listen for jams and notify a supervisor
Skills that matter
- Setting oven, dryer, and roaster controls
- Tasting and feeling product against standards
- Watching humidity and pressure gauges
- Hearing jams, spills, or machine faults
- Following written process times and temperatures
- Signaling coworkers to match material flow
AI & the future of this role
Sensors and recipe software may take over more monitoring of ovens and kilns, trimming routine tending. Setup for new products, equipment quirks, and quality checks when batches drift still tend to need an on-site operator.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details