Production
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Also called: Blender, Brewer, Cellar Worker, Digester Cook
US median pay
$51,610
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
-5.7%
declining
Openings a year (US)
5,200
61,400 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
Set up, operate, or tend continuous flow or vat-type equipment; filter presses; shaker screens; centrifuges; condenser tubes; precipitating, fermenting, or evaporating tanks; scrubbing towers; or batch stills. These machines extract, sort, or separate liquids, gases, or solids from other materials to recover a refined product. Includes dairy processing equipment operators.
What they do day to day
- Monitor material flow or instruments, such as temperature or pressure gauges, indicators, or meters, to ensure optimal processing conditions.
- Inspect machines or equipment for hazards, operating efficiency, malfunctions, wear, or leaks.
- Set up or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, or pressure.
- Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory analysis.
- Operate machines to process materials in compliance with applicable safety, energy, or environmental regulations.
- Test samples to determine viscosity, acidity, specific gravity, or degree of concentration, using test equipment such as viscometers, pH meters, or hydrometers.
- Maintain logs of instrument readings, test results, or shift production for entry in computer databases.
- Communicate processing instructions to other workers.
- Clean or sterilize tanks, screens, inflow pipes, production areas, or equipment, using hoses, brushes, scrapers, or chemical solutions.
- Examine samples to verify qualities such as clarity, cleanliness, consistency, dryness, or texture.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Operations Monitoring3.8/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.1/5
- Operation and Control3.1/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0/5
- Troubleshooting2.9/5
- Repairing2.9/5
- Equipment Maintenance2.9/5
Knowledge
- Production and Processing4.2/5
- English Language3.5/5
- Food Production3.5/5
- Education and Training3.5/5
- Mechanical3.4/5
- Mathematics3.3/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.