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Conveyor Operators and Tenders

Typical education: High school diplomaHigh pressure

What they 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.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $42,420 Median per year · $20.39/hr Most earn $36,180–$59,470

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Read production and delivery schedules, and confer with supervisors, to determine sorting and transfer procedures, arrangement of packages on pallets, and destinations of loaded pallets.
  • Measure dimensions of bundles, using rulers, and cut battens to required sizes, using power saws.
  • Repair or replace equipment components or parts such as blades, rolls, and pumps.
  • Collect samples of materials or products, checking them to ensure conformance to specifications or sending them to laboratories for analysis.
  • Load, unload, or adjust materials or products on conveyors by hand, by using lifts, hoists, and scoops, or by opening gates, chutes, or hoppers.
  • Manipulate controls, levers, and valves to start pumps, auxiliary equipment, or conveyors, and to adjust equipment positions, speeds, timing, and material flows.

Job outlook

United States
3% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 2,200 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Couriers and express delivery services31.2%
  • Self-employed (their own business)20.6%
  • Farm product raw material merchant wholesalers11.5%
  • Warehousing and storage3.6%
  • Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods3.0%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: None

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: NoneEntry-level

Conveyor operator is an entry-level job. You can usually start with a high school diploma and no prior work experience, and learn the job on the job in a short training period.

  1. High school diploma

    About 4 years

    Build strong math, reading, and basic science skills, and take shop or mechanical classes if your school offers them. These help you read equipment controls, follow safety rules, and understand how machines work.

  2. Conveyor Operator

    Less than 1 year

    You learn to start, stop, and adjust conveyor belts, watch for jams or problems, and keep materials moving safely through a warehouse, plant, or stockpile site. Strong attention to detail and reliability help you move up.

Where it can lead

  1. Industrial Machinery Mechanic

    About 1-2 years of experience, plus a certificate or apprenticeship of experience first

    You move from running equipment to fixing and maintaining it, which requires training in mechanical or electrical repair and usually an apprenticeship or certificate program.

  2. Production Supervisor

    Several years in material handling or production work of experience first

    You oversee a team of operators, schedule shifts, track output, and handle safety and training. This usually requires showing reliability, good communication, and knowledge of the whole process.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math and shop classesMath helps with reading gauges and measurements, and shop classes teach you how machines and safety procedures work.
  • Get a part-time job or summer jobWork at a grocery store, warehouse, or farm to practice showing up on time and following safety rules.
  • Join a career or technical student organizationGroups like SkillsUSA, if your school has one, build teamwork and hands-on skills that employers notice.
  • Learn basic workplace safetyAsk your school or a local safety group about free courses on lifting and equipment safety to make your resume stand out.

In college

  • Take courses in logistics, mechanics, or electronicsEven a few classes in these areas show you understand how material handling systems work, which helps with promotions.
  • Seek a warehouse or manufacturing internshipHands-on time on a production floor shows you how conveyor systems fit into the bigger workflow.
  • Work a campus job that involves equipment or inventoryJobs in a campus dining hall, mailroom, or storeroom build reliability and experience with moving materials.
  • Earn a forklift or equipment safety certification if availableCertifications in equipment safety are common in many areas and can make you a more attractive candidate.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a local warehouse, factory, or distribution center if they hire entry-level material handlers or conveyor workers, and ask what training they provide. Many jobs in this area are open to people fresh out of high school.
  • Take a class in shop, electronics, or basic machine operation if your school has one. Knowing how equipment works makes you a stronger candidate.
  • Get a part-time or summer job that involves lifting, moving materials, or following safety procedures. Employers value reliability and teamwork in these roles.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

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