Packers and Packagers build coordination, judgment and decision making and quality control analysis 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 Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders (85%).
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 | Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | 85% | $43,220 | +19% | None |
| 2 | Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 85% | $35,730 | −2% | None |
| 3 | Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping | 83% | $46,380 | +28% | None |
| 4 | Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers | 81% | $34,890 | −4% | None |
| 5 | Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 80% | $50,270 | +39% | None |
| 6 | Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders | 80% | $46,460 | +28% | None |
| 7 | Cutters and Trimmers, Hand | 79% | $38,020 | +5% | None |
| 8 | Helpers--Production Workers | 79% | $39,070 | +8% | None |
| 9 | Sewing Machine Operators | 78% | $36,670 | +1% | None |
| 10 | Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | 78% | $48,570 | +34% | None |
Compared with Packers and Packagers, Hand, median $36,280. 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 packers and packagers (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.
85% skill match · $43,220 · +19% pay
Equipment Maintenance · Repairing · Operations Monitoring
85% skill match · $35,730 · −2% pay
Persuasion
83% skill match · $46,380 · +28% pay
Persuasion · Service Orientation · Social Perceptiveness
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders (85% skill match, median $43,220), Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products (85% skill match, median $35,730) and Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping (83% skill match, median $46,380), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 23 pay more than packers and packagers at the median. The biggest increases: Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators (+61%, $58,470), Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers (+48%, $53,750) and Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (+39%, $50,270).
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.