Packers and Packagers, Hand
Transportation and Material Moving
Most of the day is spent at a packing station with cartons, crates, and the products that go into them. You measure, weigh, and count items, then assemble, line, and pad containers before sealing them with glue, fasteners, nails, or other hand tools. Each container gets marked or labeled; product, packaging, and order details go onto the forms the workplace uses. Before anything is packed, containers and goods are checked against quality and packing specifications, and work areas and supplies are cleaned as needed. Suits people who like steady hand work, counting and checking against a list, and getting a box closed to spec.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$36'280
Median Wage Market Position
$36'280
What you might do
- Look over products and containers before packing
- Measure, weigh, and count items to pack
- Line and pad cartons, crates, and boxes
- Seal containers with glue, nails, or fasteners
- Label containers, tags, and packed products
- Write packing and order details on forms
Skills that matter
- Record counts, weights, and pack details
- Follow packing specs on order forms
- Carton and product checks before sealing
- Choose crate size, lining, and padding
- Pack alongside teammates on shared orders
- Confirm order details with coworkers
AI & the future of this role
Packaging lines and robotic pick-and-place can cover much routine hand packing. Irregular items, fragile goods, and short custom runs still leave some demand for careful manual work.
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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