Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders build operations monitoring, operation and control and complex problem solving skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders (89%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders | 89% | $43,530 | +5% | None |
| 2 | Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders | 85% | $41,330 | −1% | None |
| 3 | Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 84% | $51,610 | +24% | None |
| 4 | Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders | 84% | $48,040 | +16% | None |
| 5 | Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | 82% | $43,220 | +4% | None |
| 6 | Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 81% | $48,540 | +17% | None |
| 7 | Machine Feeders and Offbearers | 80% | $41,220 | −1% | None |
| 8 | Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders | 80% | $38,180 | −8% | None |
| 9 | Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 79% | $45,760 | +10% | None |
| 10 | Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 77% | $48,990 | +18% | None |
Compared with Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders, median $41,590. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as food cooking machine operators and tenders (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
89% skill match · $43,530 · +5% pay
Equipment Maintenance · Equipment Selection · Troubleshooting
85% skill match · $41,330 · −1% pay
Repairing · Equipment Maintenance · Equipment Selection
84% skill match · $51,610 · +24% pay
Repairing · Equipment Maintenance · Installation
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders (89% skill match, median $43,530), Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders (85% skill match, median $41,330) and Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (84% skill match, median $51,610), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 17 pay more than food cooking machine operators and tenders at the median. The biggest increases: Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders (+40%, $58,040), Tire Builders (+38%, $57,390) and Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders (+31%, $54,430).
25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.