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Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Typical education: High school diplomaHigh pressure

What they do

Set up, operate, or tend machines to mix or blend materials, such as chemicals, tobacco, liquids, color pigments, or explosive ingredients.

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 $48,990 Median per year · $23.55/hr Most earn $36,790–$70,200

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Weigh or measure materials, ingredients, or products to ensure conformance to requirements.
  • Compound or process ingredients or dyes, according to formulas.
  • Operate or tend machines to mix or blend any of a wide variety of materials, such as spices, dough batter, tobacco, fruit juices, chemicals, livestock feed, food products, color pigments, or explosive ingredients.
  • Observe production or monitor equipment to ensure safe and efficient operation.
  • Stop mixing or blending machines when specified product qualities are obtained and open valves and start pumps to transfer mixtures.
  • Operate or tend machines to mix or blend any of a wide variety of materials, such as spices, dough batter, tobacco, fruit juices, chemicals, livestock feed, food products, color pigments, or explosive ingredients.

Job outlook

United States
6% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 7,900 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

  • Chemical manufacturing21.6%
  • Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing11.7%
  • Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods7.8%
  • Animal food manufacturing6.7%
  • Other food manufacturing6.0%

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

This is an entry-level job. Many people start with just a high school diploma and learn the machines on the job, so you don't need prior work experience to begin.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school with strong math and science classes, since you'll read measurements, follow mixing recipes, and check numbers on machine panels.

  2. Mixing and Blending Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender

    Less than 1 year to learn the job

    You start by learning to set up, run, and clean mixing and blending equipment under an experienced worker, and you gain confidence as you learn the materials and safety rules.

Where it can lead

  1. Lead Operator

    2-3 years of experience first

    You train newer workers, double-check batch quality, and help troubleshoot machines, which requires reliable work and clear communication.

  2. Production Supervisor

    3-5 years of experience first

    You oversee a team on a shift, plan production schedules, and keep the line safe and on target, which usually means showing strong leadership and knowing the process well.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take chemistry and mathChemistry helps you understand how materials mix, and math helps with measurements and ratios you'll use every day.
  • Take a shop or technical classHands-on classes like shop, welding, or electronics teach you to read machine instructions and work safely around equipment.
  • Get a part-time or summer job at a factory or warehouseAny job in a production setting shows employers you can show up on time, follow directions, and work as part of a team.
  • Join a career or technical student clubGroups like FFA or SkillsUSA, where your school has them, help you build teamwork and technical skills.

In college

  • Take chemistry, physics, or manufacturing coursesKnowing how materials react and how production processes work helps you understand the machines and mixing steps.
  • Work a campus job in a lab or dining or food-production kitchenMeasuring ingredients precisely and following set procedures is good practice for mixing and blending work.
  • Look for an internship at a manufacturing plantA plant internship shows you how production lines run and lets you see whether mixing and blending work suits you.
  • Ask about safety or equipment trainingMany schools and local community programs offer workplace safety or machine operation courses that make you a stronger job candidate.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a plant or factory about entry-level production jobs and whether they offer on-the-job training; many do not require experience.
  • Pay attention to safety training and follow every rule; safe, careful workers are the ones who get trusted with more responsibility.

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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