Production
Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
Set up, operate, or tend machines to mix or blend materials, such as chemicals, tobacco, liquids, color pigments, or explosive ingredients.
Median pay
$48,990
Growth to 2035
−6%
declining
Openings a year
7,900
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders: 30% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Weigh or measure materials, ingredients, or products to ensure conformance to requirements.
- Read work orders to determine production specifications or information.
- Observe production or monitor equipment to ensure safe and efficient operation.
- Mix or blend ingredients by starting machines and mixing for specified times.
- Stop mixing or blending machines when specified product qualities are obtained and open valves and start pumps to transfer mixtures.
- Compound or process ingredients or dyes, according to formulas.
- Examine materials, ingredients, or products visually or with hands to ensure conformance to established standards.
- 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.
Also called: Batchmaker · Blender · Blending Technician (Blending Tech) · Ink Blender · Issuing Operator · Machine Operator · Mixer · Mixer Operator
Outlook and AI
Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders held 97,300 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 91,400 by 2035 (−6%, declining; all jobs: +3.5%).
Productivity change - share decreases as automated manufacturing processes require fewer manual tasks to be performed by these workers.
Compare with
- Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders vs. Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders vs. Food batchmaker
- Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders vs. Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders
- Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders vs. Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders vs. Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders vs. Machine feeders and offbearers
- Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders vs. Adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders
- Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders vs. Furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders
- Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders vs. Textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders
- Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders vs. Chemical equipment operators and tenders