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Manufacturing & Production · Updated Aug 2026

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders

Operate or tend machines to prepare industrial or consumer products for storage or shipment. Includes cannery workers who pack food products.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
AI Exposure
42/100
Moderate

How much of this occupation’s work can be materially affected by current AI systems.

Replacement Risk
41/100
Moderate

How likely exposure is to translate into reduced human demand.

Includes provisional estimates for AI adoption pressure and labour-market resilience. How this is measured

Evidence quality
Confidence79/100
Task coverage81%

Confidence reflects task coverage, mapping and capability-evidence quality, and how much of the score rests on provisional inputs.

Task-level evidence

What is driving the score?

Occupation scores are built from the task mix—not a single prediction about a job title.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
TaskImportanceAI impactExposure
Stack finished packaged items, or wrap protective material around each item, and pack the items in cartons or containers.High
70
Supply materials to spindles, conveyors, hoppers, or other feeding devices and unload packaged product.High
70
Package the product in the form in which it will be sent out, for example, filling bags with flour from a chute or spout.High
69
Stop or reset machines when malfunctions occur, clear machine jams, and report malfunctions to a supervisor.High
68
Adjust machine components and machine tension and pressure according to size or processing angle of product.High
67
Stock and sort product for packaging or filling machine operation, and replenish packaging supplies, such as wrapping paper, plastic sheet, boxes, cartons, glue, ink, or labels.High
66
Sort, grade, weigh, and inspect products, verifying and adjusting product weight or measurement to meet specifications.High
51
Observe machine operations to ensure quality and conformity of filled or packaged products to standards.High
37
Monitor the production line, watching for problems such as pile-ups, jams, or glue that isn't sticking properly.High
31
Inspect and remove defective products and packaging material.High
31
Remove finished packaged items from machine and separate rejected items.High
23
Clean, oil, and make minor adjustments or repairs to machinery and equipment, such as opening valves or setting guides.High
21
Attach identification labels to finished packaged items, or cut stencils and stencil information on containers, such as lot numbers or shipping destinations.High
16
Clean and remove damaged or otherwise inferior materials to prepare raw products for processing.High
18
Secure finished packaged items by hand tying, sewing, gluing, stapling, or attaching fastener.High
16
Clean packaging containers, line and pad crates, or assemble cartons to prepare for product packing.High
16
Most exposed

Where AI can do more

Routine, digitized, and highly repeatable tasks face the greatest pressure.

  1. Stack finished packaged items, or wrap protective material around each item, and pack the items in cartons or containers.70
  2. Supply materials to spindles, conveyors, hoppers, or other feeding devices and unload packaged product.70
  3. Package the product in the form in which it will be sent out, for example, filling bags with flour from a chute or spout.69
  4. Stop or reset machines when malfunctions occur, clear machine jams, and report malfunctions to a supervisor.68
Hardest to automate

Where people still matter

These tasks score lowest on automation feasibility—physical presence, judgement, accountability and real-world variability all resist end-to-end automation.

  1. Attach identification labels to finished packaged items, or cut stencils and stencil information on containers, such as lot numbers or shipping destinations.01
  2. Secure finished packaged items by hand tying, sewing, gluing, stapling, or attaching fastener.02
  3. Clean packaging containers, line and pad crates, or assemble cartons to prepare for product packing.03
  4. Clean, oil, and make minor adjustments or repairs to machinery and equipment, such as opening valves or setting guides.04
  5. Clean and remove damaged or otherwise inferior materials to prepare raw products for processing.05
Where else this work leads

Related occupations

Occupations O*NET links to this one. Relatedness reflects shared work, not a claim that these roles are safer.

See all rankings →
AI risk 49

Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Closely related work

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Beyond AI capability

Adoption and labour-market outlook

Structural factors are kept separate from raw capability so you can see what actually resists automation. Adoption pressure and labour-market resilience are still provisional models—25% of this occupation’s replacement-risk weight rests on them.

Human dependency60
Physical dependency65
Adoption pressure47
Labour-market resilience62
Methodology & sources

O*NET 30.3 occupational data interpreted through the JobsVsAI capability, automation and structural-constraint models.

Confidence79/100
CalculatedAug 21, 2026
Read methodology →