SOC 53-7011.00

    Conveyor Operators and Tenders

    Control or tend conveyors or conveyor systems that move materials or products to and from stockpiles, processing stations, departments, or vehicles.

    Median pay
    $42,420
    Growth
    -2.6%
    Decline
    Openings a year
    2,200
    Typical education
    No formal credential

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

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    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $36,180
    Median
    $42,420
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $59,470
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    22,930 people work in this occupation.

    What conveyor operators and tenders do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    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.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    86 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    6 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    0 / 100
    Social (S)
    3 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    26 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    66 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCE. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Handling and Moving Objects
    70
    Assisting and Caring for Others
    60
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    60
    Performing General Physical Activities
    58
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    58
    Training and Teaching Others
    58
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    58
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    57
    Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
    56
    Controlling Machines and Processes
    56
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Operation and Control
    • Operations Monitoring
    • Monitoring
    • Active Listening
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Critical Thinking
    • Speaking
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Quality Control Analysis
    • Reading Comprehension

    Knowledge

    • English Language
    • Mechanical
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Production and Processing
    • Transportation
    • Education and Training
    • Law and Government
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Administrative
    • Administration and Management

    Abilities

    • Control Precision
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Oral Expression
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Multilimb Coordination
    • Near Vision
    • Perceptual Speed
    • Selective Attention

    Work styles

    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail
    • Cautiousness
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Integrity
    • Cooperation
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Adaptability
    • Initiative
    • Perseverance

    Also called

    Ash Conveyor Operator · Assembly Line Tender · Bed Operator · Belt Operator · Belt Technician (Belt Tech) · Belt Tender · Beltman · Bin Tripper Operator · Boom Conveyor Operator · Bull-Chain Operator

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    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.