SOC 51-9111 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders — Decatur
Decatur, IL · 6 metro areas compared
In Decatur, IL the median wage for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders reaches $59,160 a year.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +4.5%
- Openings per year
- 45,300
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Decatur, IL.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In Decatur, IL the median wage for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders reaches $59,160 a year. That is 36.9% more than the national median of $43,220. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $49,010 and $60,340. The lowest tenth earn under $43,330, while the highest tenth earn more than $61,820.
Employment stands at 160, or 3.6 jobs per thousand held locally. Kankakee leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $45,480. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 89th of 184 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $43,330 | +0.3% |
| 25th | $49,010 | +13.4% |
| Median (50th) | $59,160 | +36.9% |
| 75th | $60,340 | +39.6% |
| 90th | $61,820 | +43.0% |
| Mean | $54,800 | +26.8% |
Other metro areas in Illinois
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Decatur run 11.6% below the national average, so the median of $59,160 goes as far as $66,923 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 54.8% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$59,160as reported by BLSLocal price level
88.4US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$66,923US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $59,160 a year, 36.9% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $43,330 to $61,820 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 160 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Kankakee, at $45,480.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders in Decatur, IL?
The median annual wage is $59,160, or $28.44 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $43,220, so pay in Decatur, IL is 36.9% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Decatur, IL earns more than $61,820 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $43,330 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Kankakee, at $45,480 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 160 jobs in this occupation in Decatur, IL. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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