How much does a conveyor operator make?
Answer: A typical conveyor operator in the United States makes $42,420 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 23,000 people work in this job. About the same as the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Conveyor operator pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| 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 |
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.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a conveyor operator do?
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.
What's a typical day like?
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.
How to get this job
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.
High school plus some training (preparation level 2 of 5)
Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized.
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.
Similar jobs
Jobs using similar skills (O*NET)Earn more in the same field
Transportation and Material Moving jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
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