Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 51-9023 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$48,984
$23.55/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is $48,984 per year ($23.55/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $42,848 and $59,862 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $70,200 per year. There are approximately 94,920 mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Set up, operate, or tend machines to mix or blend materials, such as chemicals, tobacco, liquids, color pigments, or explosive ingredients.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-6.8%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
9K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
101K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only)
NAICS 3250A2
13K
$49,440
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing
NAICS 327000
11K
$57,900
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)
NAICS 3250A1
8K
$49,720
Animal Food Manufacturing
NAICS 311100
7K
$46,790
Other Food Manufacturing
NAICS 311900
6K
$47,330
Wage range across top 5 industries: $46,790 to $57,900 (24% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$17.69
$36,795
P25
$20.60
$42,848
P50MEDIAN
$23.55
$48,984
P75
$28.78
$59,862
P90
$33.75
$70,200
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%
Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders salary?
The national median salary for Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is $48,984 per year ($23.55/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $42,848 and $59,862 annually.
How much do top-earning mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders make?
The 90th percentile salary for Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is $70,200 per year ($33.75/hr). The 75th percentile is $59,862 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Entry-level Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (10th percentile) earn approximately $36,795 per year ($17.69/hr). The 25th percentile is $42,848 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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