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. May control speed and routing of materials or products.

Also Known As:

Chipper Operator Debarker Operator Flumer Line Operator Machine Operator Package Line Operator Packaging Line Operator Packing Line Operator Process Operator Strapper Operator

Wages

Hourly

Annual wages for Conveyor Operators and Tenders in United States

Job Outlook Below Average

New job opportunities are less likely in the future

United States 2034 Projected Employment

28,100

-3% Change From 2024

Explore Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators video

Tasks you might complete in a day.

Manipulate controls, levers, and valves to start pumps, auxiliary equipment, or conveyors, and to adjust equipment positions, speeds, timing, and material flows.
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.
Collect samples of materials or products, checking them to ensure conformance to specifications or sending them to laboratories for analysis.
Collect samples of materials or products, checking them to ensure conformance to specifications or sending them to laboratories for analysis.
Manipulate controls, levers, and valves to start pumps, auxiliary equipment, or conveyors, and to adjust equipment positions, speeds, timing, and material flows.
Record production data such as weights, types, quantities, and storage locations of materials, as well as equipment performance problems and downtime.
Load, unload, or adjust materials or products on conveyors by hand, by using lifts, hoists, and scoops, or by opening gates, chutes, or hoppers.
Move, assemble, and connect hoses or nozzles to material hoppers, storage tanks, conveyor sections or chutes, and pumps.
Affix identifying information to materials or products, using hand tools.
Press console buttons to deflect packages to predetermined accumulators or reject lines.
Thread strapping through strapping tools and secure battens with strapping to form protective pallets around extrusions.
Clean, sterilize, and maintain equipment, machinery, and work stations, using hand tools, shovels, brooms, chemicals, hoses, and lubricants.
Observe packages moving along conveyors to identify packages, detect defective packaging, and perform quality control.
Observe conveyor operations and monitor lights, dials, and gauges to maintain specified operating levels and to detect equipment malfunctions.
Stop equipment or machinery and clear jams, using poles, bars, and hand tools, or remove damaged materials from conveyors.
Move, assemble, and connect hoses or nozzles to material hoppers, storage tanks, conveyor sections or chutes, and pumps.
Move, assemble, and connect hoses or nozzles to material hoppers, storage tanks, conveyor sections or chutes, and pumps.
Contact workers in work stations or other departments to request movement of materials, products, or machinery, or to notify them of incoming shipments and their estimated delivery times.
Join sections of conveyor frames at temporary working areas, and connect power units.
Clean, sterilize, and maintain equipment, machinery, and work stations, using hand tools, shovels, brooms, chemicals, hoses, and lubricants.
Clean, sterilize, and maintain equipment, machinery, and work stations, using hand tools, shovels, brooms, chemicals, hoses, and lubricants.
Position deflector bars, gates, chutes, or spouts to divert flow of materials from one conveyor onto another conveyor.
Weigh or measure materials and products, using scales or other measuring instruments, or read scales on conveyors that continually weigh products, to verify specified tonnages and prevent overloads.
Weigh or measure materials and products, using scales or other measuring instruments, or read scales on conveyors that continually weigh products, to verify specified tonnages and prevent overloads.
Inform supervisors of equipment malfunctions that need to be addressed.
Distribute materials, supplies, and equipment to work stations, using lifts and trucks.
Repair or replace equipment components or parts such as blades, rolls, and pumps.
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.
Join sections of conveyor frames at temporary working areas, and connect power units.
Observe conveyor operations and monitor lights, dials, and gauges to maintain specified operating levels and to detect equipment malfunctions.
Stop equipment or machinery and clear jams, using poles, bars, and hand tools, or remove damaged materials from conveyors.

Subject areas you may need to master.

Economics and Accounting - Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Foreign Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Food Production - Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Philosophy and Theology - Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Administrative - Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

Strengths you may need in this role.

Troubleshooting - Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Operation and Control - Using equipment or systems.
Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Persuasion - Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Management of Personnel Resources - Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Service Orientation - Looking for ways to help people.
Learning Strategies - Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Critical Thinking - Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Programming - Writing computer programs.
Quality Control Analysis - Testing how well a product or service works.
Reading Comprehension - Reading work-related information.
Complex Problem Solving - Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Science - Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Active Listening - Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Operations Analysis - Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Speaking - Talking to others.
Coordination - Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Installation - Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Writing - Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Social Perceptiveness - Understanding people's reactions.
Technology Design - Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Equipment Maintenance - Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Systems Evaluation - Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Judgment and Decision Making - Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Management of Financial Resources - Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Mathematics - Using math to solve problems.
Equipment Selection - Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Time Management - Managing your time and the time of other people.
Systems Analysis - Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Active Learning - Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Management of Material Resources - Managing equipment and materials.
Instructing - Teaching people how to do something.
Negotiation - Bringing people together to solve differences.
Monitoring - Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Depth Perception - Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Extent Flexibility - Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Peripheral Vision - Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Oral Expression - Communicating by speaking.
Category Flexibility - Grouping things in different ways.
Response Orientation - Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Multilimb Coordination - Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Originality - Creating new and original ideas.
Fluency of Ideas - Coming up with lots of ideas.
Night Vision - Seeing at night or under low light.
Dynamic Strength - Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Mathematical Reasoning - Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Written Expression - Communicating by writing.
Inductive Reasoning - Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Gross Body Coordination - Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Stamina - Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Trunk Strength - Using your lower back and stomach.
Visual Color Discrimination - Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Near Vision - Seeing details up close.
Static Strength - Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Gross Body Equilibrium - Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Hearing Sensitivity - Telling the difference between sounds.
Sound Localization - Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Finger Dexterity - Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Perceptual Speed - Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Reaction Time - Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Visualization - Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Speed of Closure - Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Memorization - Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Information Ordering - Ordering or arranging things.
Rate Control - Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Problem Sensitivity - Noticing when problems happen.
Speech Clarity - Speaking clearly.
Dynamic Flexibility - Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Far Vision - Seeing details that are far away.
Number Facility - Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Control Precision - Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Deductive Reasoning - Using rules to solve problems.
Oral Comprehension - Listening and understanding what people say.
Spatial Orientation - Knowing where things are around you.
Wrist-Finger Speed - Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Manual Dexterity - Holding or moving items with your hands.
Time Sharing - Doing two or more things at the same time.
Selective Attention - Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Flexibility of Closure - Seeing hidden patterns.
Arm-Hand Steadiness - Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Written Comprehension - Reading and understanding what is written.
Speed of Limb Movement - Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Glare Sensitivity - Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Speech Recognition - Recognizing spoken words.
Explosive Strength - Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Auditory Attention - Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.