How much does a conveyor operator make?
a year · about $20 an hour
A typical conveyor operator in the United States makes $42,420 a year, about $20 an hour, about the same as a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
They watch goods move on belts, check lights and gauges, and adjust speed or gates to route them. If a jam occurs, they stop the machine, clear it, record output, and report faults.
Did you know? Some conveyor belts are also scales: operators read them to track the weight moving by and prevent the belt from being overloaded.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $36,180 and $59,470How do you become one?
In the United States, a college degree is usually unnecessary; some employers prefer a high school diploma or GED. New hires learn safety and conveyor controls on the job.
School needed: High school plus some training
Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized
Why does pay differ?
In the United States, pay can differ with experience, location, and industry; mining and power-plant jobs may pay differently from delivery or warehouse jobs. Night shifts and overtime can also change what a worker earns.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in West Virginia ($62,830), lowest in Tennessee ($38,260).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $36,180 | $42,420 | $59,470 | about 23,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | $62,830 | about 580 |
| Iowa | $56,900 | about 590 |
| Indiana | $46,300 | about 610 |
| South Dakota | $44,890 | about 500 |
| Kentucky | $44,800 | about 780 |
Official definition: Control or tend conveyors or conveyor systems that move materials or products to and from stockpiles, processing stations, departments, or vehicles. May control speed and routing of materials or products.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes537011.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/details/53-7011.00
- www.bls.gov/OOH/transportation-and-material-moving/material-moving-machine-opera
- www.mynextmove.org/profile/summary/53-7011.00
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY