Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary
The median cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders salary in the United States is $46,570 per year ($22.39/hour). Salaries range from $35,930 at the entry level to $61,120+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 44,980 cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to decline 2.3% through 2034.
Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Median Salary
$46,570
per year
Hourly Rate
$22.39
per hour
Employment
44,980
jobs in the U.S.
Salary Distribution
10th percentile
$35,930
25th percentile
$39,440
Median
$46,570
75th percentile
$53,800
90th percentile
$61,120
Job Growth (2024-2034)
-2.3%
Decline
Annual Openings
5,300
jobs/year (growth + replacements)
Education Required
High school diploma or equivalent
Training Needed
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Career Guide
Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenderss.
Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders (BLS SOC 51-9032) run the industrial equipment that portions, dimensions, and separates raw materials into finished product across food processing, paper mills, textile, rubber, plastics, and packaging. Typical seats: meat + poultry + pork slicer operator at Tyson Foods, JBS USA, Cargill Protein, Smithfield Foods, Perdue Farms, Hormel Foods, Pilgrim's Pride, National Beef, Wayne-Sanderson Farms; cheese-block + loaf slicer operator at Kraft Heinz, Land O'Lakes, Sargento, Great Lakes Cheese, Leprino Foods; bread + bakery slicer operator at Bimbo Bakeries USA, Flowers Foods, Grupo Bimbo, Aryzta, Sara Lee Frozen Bakery; paper-roll slitter operator at International Paper, WestRock, Georgia-Pacific, Domtar, Packaging Corporation of America, Sonoco Products; textile fabric-cutting operator at Milliken & Company, Hanesbrands, Springs Global, Mohawk Industries, Shaw Industries; rubber + plastics + film-slitter operator at Berry Global, Sealed Air, Amcor, Sonoco, Bemis Company (now Amcor Flexibles), ATC Manufacturing; corrugated + folding-carton die-cutter operator at International Paper, WestRock, Graphic Packaging, Packaging Corporation of America. BLS reports 44,980 employed with a median of $46,570, p10 $30,890, p90 $67,530+. Entry operators $30-42k; established operators $42-58k + shift differential; senior operator / lead / set-up mechanic $55-78k; production supervisor / maintenance technician track $72-115k+. The single biggest earnings lever is stacking OSHA 10-Hr + LOTO (lockout / tagout) competent-person + HACCP + PSM (Process Safety Management) + a specialty on high-speed cheese-block or paper-roll slitting or corrugated-die-cutting β this triple stack moves an operator from $38k hourly commodity-line seat to $72-95k lead / set-up mechanic at a Fortune 500 food or paper plant with UFCW or USW or IBT representation.
Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For
Cutting + slicing machine setup + tooling + blade change
Machine setup β reference the run-sheet or production-order for target dimensions, throughput, and product spec; select the correct blade / knife / die / slitter-tooling from the tool crib; execute the blade-change procedure per the manufacturer's manual (Marel, Formax, Provisur, Grote, Weber, Urschel for food; Kampf, Atlas Converting, Goebel IMS for paper-roll slitting; Bobst, Heidelberg, KBA for corrugated-die-cutting). Blade sharpening and rotation discipline β dull blades produce off-spec cuts, drive scrap rate, and increase load on the drive motor. Tooling-inventory management + tool-crib checkout discipline.
OSHA machine-guarding + LOTO (Lockout / Tagout) discipline under 29 CFR Β§1910.147
OSHA 29 CFR Β§1910.147 Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout / Tagout) β the federal standard for isolating energy sources before service or maintenance on machinery. Authorized-employee training (typically 4-8 hours annually), personal lock + tag placement, energy-source verification, and try-and-verify before service. Machine-guarding under 29 CFR Β§1910.212 β point-of-operation guarding, nip-point guarding, transmission-guarding; requirements vary by machine type but never bypass during production. Amputation-prevention discipline at slicers, band-saws, guillotine-cutters, and rotary die-cutters β the single largest injury category in this SOC per OSHA-reported data. Zero-tolerance for guard-removal or LOTO-bypass at Fortune 500 employers.
HACCP + FSMA + food-safety training at food + beverage plants
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) β the FDA / USDA-required food-safety framework at meat + poultry + seafood + juice + dairy processors. FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act, 2011) β the FDA statutory framework requiring preventive-controls plans at all food facilities; PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual) certification required for the plant's food-safety lead. USDA FSIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service) inspection cadence at meat + poultry plants β continuous inspection presence under FMIA + PPIA + EPIA. Operator-level food-safety discipline β hair nets, hand-washing, glove protocol, cross-contamination prevention between raw + ready-to-eat product zones, allergen-changeover cleaning between production runs.
cGMP + FDA 21 CFR Part 117 preventive controls + sanitation
cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice) under 21 CFR Part 117 (human food) and 21 CFR Part 507 (animal food) β the FDA-baseline manufacturing standard covering personnel, plant + grounds, sanitary operations, equipment, processes + controls, warehousing + distribution. SSOP (Sanitation Standard Operating Procedure) β the plant-specific sanitation discipline required under FSMA + HACCP. Pre-op sanitation inspection + verification with ATP swab testing + microbial testing. Master cleaning schedule (MCS) with weekly / monthly / quarterly / semi-annual / annual cleaning frequency by equipment area. Allergen-control program β specific procedures for line changeover between allergen-containing and allergen-free product runs.
OEE + Six Sigma + Lean manufacturing discipline + throughput optimization
OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) β the manufacturing-industry-standard metric combining availability Γ performance Γ quality; typical target 65-85% depending on line type. Six Sigma Green Belt + Black Belt training β the Motorola-origin quality-improvement methodology now standard at Fortune 500 manufacturing; ASQ-certified Green Belt is the operator + lead credential; Black Belt is typically the process-engineer + supervisor credential. Lean manufacturing β 5S workplace organization, kaizen continuous-improvement events, kanban material-flow discipline, SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die) rapid changeover; roots in Toyota Production System. TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) β operator-owned preventive-maintenance discipline; the Autonomous Maintenance pillar builds operator ownership of the machine.
PLC + HMI + PLC-adjacent automation troubleshooting (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Mitsubishi)
PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) β the industrial-automation controller running most modern cutting + slicing lines. Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation) ControlLogix + CompactLogix are the North American market leaders; Siemens SIMATIC S7 dominates in European-origin equipment; Mitsubishi FX + Q dominant in some Asian-origin equipment. HMI (Human-Machine Interface) β the operator touchscreen for recipe selection, blade-speed adjustment, throughput monitoring, alarm response; typically FactoryTalk View / WinCC / GT-Designer. Operator-level PLC troubleshooting β reading alarm codes, interpreting fault sequences, coordinating with the maintenance-electrician for repair scope beyond the operator boundary. Fanuc + ABB + KUKA robotic-integration for automated blade-change + product-handling on higher-automation lines.
Statistical process control (SPC) + weight + dimension verification + scrap-rate discipline
SPC (Statistical Process Control) β the operator-owned process-monitoring discipline using X-bar + R charts, individual + moving-range charts, and process-capability indices (Cp + Cpk). Target-weight discipline at food slicing β most product runs have a target weight + tolerance band; over-target waste money, under-target creates USDA / FDA net-content-labeling violations under 21 CFR Β§101.105 + FPLA (Fair Packaging and Labeling Act). Dimension verification at paper-roll slitting + corrugated die-cutting β width + thickness + squareness + roll-diameter targets. Scrap-rate discipline β trim + edge + startup / shutdown waste minimization; every 1% scrap reduction at a $50M-revenue-line drives $500k+ annual savings.
Preventive maintenance + operator-owned autonomous maintenance + CMMS
Preventive maintenance (PM) β scheduled maintenance activities to prevent equipment failure; typical schedule daily / weekly / monthly / quarterly / semi-annual / annual by equipment area. Operator-owned autonomous maintenance under TPM β cleaning, lubrication, inspection, minor adjustment tasks assigned to the operator not the maintenance mechanic; frees maintenance for higher-skill work. CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) β the software tracking PM schedules + work orders + spare-parts inventory + equipment history; typical platforms IBM Maximo, Infor EAM, SAP PM, Fiix, UpKeep. Operator-level CMMS discipline β completing daily PM checklists, filing work orders for observed defects, escalating urgent equipment issues.
Shift-handover + production-log + downtime-code discipline
Shift-handover discipline β the 15-30 minute overlap between outgoing and incoming shift where the outgoing operator briefs the incoming operator on production run status, quality issues, equipment issues, and open work orders. Production-log accuracy β every hour's production count, downtime, scrap, and rework logged to the electronic production-tracking system (typically integrated with the plant's MES β Manufacturing Execution System β like Rockwell FactoryTalk ProductionCentre or Siemens Opcenter). Downtime-code discipline β every minute of production stoppage tagged with the reason code (mechanical failure, changeover, quality hold, scheduled break, material shortage, upstream / downstream constraint); accurate downtime coding is the foundation of OEE analysis and the highest-leverage continuous-improvement input.
Union representation at UFCW (meat + poultry + food), USW (paper + steel), IBT (Teamsters), BCTGM (bakery + confectionery + tobacco + grain millers)
UFCW (United Food and Commercial Workers) β the primary union at meat + poultry + retail-grocery + food-manufacturing plants; strong at Tyson, JBS, Cargill, Smithfield, Perdue, Hormel meatpacking + poultry-processing. USW (United Steelworkers) β the primary union at paper mills, rubber + tire, aluminum, steel; strong at International Paper, WestRock, Georgia-Pacific paper mills. IBT (International Brotherhood of Teamsters) β the primary union at bakery + beverage + warehouse + distribution; strong at Bimbo Bakeries, Flowers Foods, Frito-Lay + Anheuser-Busch InBev + Coca-Cola bottling. BCTGM (Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers) β the specialty bakery + confectionery + grain-milling union; strong at Kellogg's, General Mills, Nabisco, Hershey. Understanding your CBA + grievance procedure + seniority-list mechanics is the concrete union-side competence check for career navigation.
How to Become a Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- 1Complete a high-school diploma or GED + basic math + basic-computer fluencyHigh-school diploma or GED is the baseline for hire at every Fortune 500 food, paper, and packaging plant. Basic math (fractions, decimals, unit conversions, percentages) + basic-computer fluency (touchscreen HMI operation, electronic production-log data entry) are the gate skills. Some plants also require passing a WorkKeys assessment (Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information, Locating Information) at a minimum score.
- 2Complete OSHA 10-Hr General Industry + LOTO training on hireOSHA 10-Hr General Industry β the entry-level safety training program covering hazard recognition, PPE, machine-guarding, LOTO, hazard communication, walking / working surfaces, and industrial hygiene. Typical 10-hour class delivered in-plant or at an OSHA-authorized outreach training center; $25-125 program cost typically employer-paid. LOTO training under 29 CFR Β§1910.147 β authorized-employee training (4-8 hours annually) covering personal lock + tag placement, energy-source verification, and try-and-verify. Both are required on hire at every Fortune 500 food + paper + packaging plant.
- 3Start in an entry cutting / slicing operator seat at $30-42k + shift differential + benefitsFirst seats β meat + poultry + pork slicer operator at Tyson Foods, JBS USA, Cargill Protein, Smithfield Foods; cheese slicer operator at Kraft Heinz, Land O'Lakes, Sargento; bread slicer operator at Bimbo Bakeries, Flowers Foods; paper-roll slitter operator at International Paper, WestRock, Georgia-Pacific; corrugated die-cutter operator at Graphic Packaging, WestRock, PCA. Entry pay $16-21/hr + $1.50-3.50/hr shift differential (2nd + 3rd + weekend) + full benefits + 401(k) match + union representation (UFCW / USW / IBT / BCTGM depending on plant + industry).
- 4Complete HACCP + FSMA PCQI + cGMP training for food + beverage plantsHACCP training β typical 16-hour class + IHA (International HACCP Alliance) certification; $200-600 program cost typically employer-paid. FSMA PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual) β typical 20-hour class + Preventive Controls Qualified Individual credential; $600-1,200 program cost. cGMP + FDA 21 CFR Part 117 + SSOP training β plant-specific + employer-paid. Food-industry operators who stack HACCP + PCQI + Quality Assurance Auditor training accelerate promotion to lead / QA-technician / shift supervisor.
- 5Learn PLC + HMI + machine-specific automation for the equipment you runOperator-level PLC + HMI fluency is a growing differentiator β plants with high-automation lines (Marel, Formax, Provisur poultry lines; Kampf + Atlas paper-roll slitters; Bobst corrugated die-cutters) increasingly expect operators to read alarm codes, interpret fault sequences, and coordinate with maintenance-electricians for repair. Vendor-provided operator training on Allen-Bradley + Siemens PLC / HMI platforms β typical 24-40 hour class + certificate; $500-2,500 program cost typically employer-paid or vendor-sponsored during equipment install.
- 6Advance to established operator at $42-58k with certified line + shift differential3-6 years in seat. Full-rate operator under the CBA; typically $20-27/hr + $2-4/hr shift differential. Certified on 2-4 lines + shift-flex capability. This is where operator earnings become steady; established operators clear $52-72k in a typical year with modest overtime, $65-88k in a heavy-overtime year with 6-day weeks (common in food-processing peak seasons).
- 7Move into lead / set-up mechanic / senior operator at $55-78k with team scope6-12 years in seat. Lead operator β runs a 4-8 operator crew on a specific line; coordinates changeovers, blade-changes, and handoff to maintenance. Set-up mechanic β the specialized seat between operator and maintenance mechanic; owns the mechanical + electrical adjustment of the cutting + slicing equipment during changeovers; typically requires 5+ years operator experience + demonstrated mechanical aptitude + often a 2-year AAS in industrial maintenance. Senior operator β operator with the top pay-step under the CBA + assigned trainer / mentor duties.
- 8Advance to production supervisor / maintenance mechanic / QA technician at $72-115k+10-20+ years. Production supervisor β the front-line manager over 15-40 operators on a shift; typically leaves the CBA and goes salaried + LTIP-eligible. Maintenance mechanic β the multi-craft technician handling mechanical + electrical + hydraulic + pneumatic repair; typically requires 4-8 year apprenticeship + journeyman-level industrial-maintenance certification. QA technician / Sr QA technician β the quality-assurance role handling in-process testing, audit response, HACCP + FSMA compliance verification; typically requires a food-science associate + PCQI + HACCP certifications. Some senior operators pursue an alternative Plant Operations / Continuous Improvement Coordinator path at $85-125k + LTIP.
Career Progression
Entry Operator / Tender
0-3 yrs$30-42k hourly ($15-21/hr) + shift differential ($1.50-3.50/hr) + full benefits + 401(k) match + union representation
- β’Load raw material onto the cutting / slicing line; monitor equipment for correct feed rate + product quality
- β’Perform operator-owned autonomous maintenance β cleaning, lubrication, inspection, minor adjustment
- β’Log production count + downtime + scrap + rework to the electronic production-tracking system every hour
- β’Follow HACCP + FSMA + cGMP + SSOP food-safety discipline including hair nets, hand-washing, allergen-changeover cleaning (at food plants)
Next: Full-rate established operator at 2-4 years after certification on 2-4 lines.
Established Operator
3-8 yrs$42-58k hourly ($20-27/hr) + shift differential + overtime + full benefits + union representation
- β’Own the cutting / slicing line during your shift β startup, run-rate optimization, changeover, shutdown
- β’Certified on 2-4 lines + shift-flex capability; called on to cover extra-board when needed
- β’Execute product-changeover procedures per SSOP + allergen-control-program discipline
- β’Serve as backup lead when the lead is out; mentor entry operators during training rotations
Next: Lead / Set-up Mechanic / Senior Operator at 6-12 years.
Lead / Set-up Mechanic / Senior Operator
6-14 yrs$55-78k hourly ($26-37/hr) + shift differential + overtime + full benefits + union representation + LTIP-adjacent bonuses at Fortune 500
- β’Lead β run a 4-8 operator crew on a specific line; coordinate changeovers, blade-changes, and handoff to maintenance
- β’Set-up mechanic β own the mechanical + electrical adjustment of the cutting + slicing equipment during changeovers
- β’Own the line's OEE + throughput + scrap-rate performance; participate in daily production huddles + weekly production reviews
- β’Coordinate with the maintenance-mechanic + QA-technician + shift-supervisor on line issues; escalate to plant management as needed
Next: Production Supervisor / Maintenance Mechanic / QA Technician at 12-20 years.
Production Supervisor / Maintenance Mechanic / QA Technician / Continuous Improvement Coordinator
12-20+ yrs$72-115k+ salaried at production-supervisor + maintenance + QA seats + bonus + LTIP at Fortune 500 + full benefits
- β’Production supervisor β the front-line manager over 15-40 operators on a shift; owns safety, quality, throughput, and cost outcomes
- β’Maintenance mechanic β multi-craft technician handling mechanical + electrical + hydraulic + pneumatic repair across the plant's cutting + slicing lines
- β’QA technician / Sr QA technician β owns in-process testing, HACCP + FSMA + cGMP compliance verification, USDA / FDA audit response
- β’Continuous Improvement Coordinator β owns the plant's OEE + Six Sigma + Lean roadmap; leads kaizen events + process-improvement projects
Interview Questions & Answers
5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 13 total plus resume bullets for every level.
Q1. Walk me through a typical shift at your last cutting / slicing operator seat.technical
Structured, with real detail. Example: 'Slicer operator at Tyson Foods Springdale AR poultry-processing plant on the cooked-chicken slicing line (Line 4 β Marel I-Cut 122 high-speed slicer running boneless cooked chicken breast for foodservice + retail-tray customers). Typical shift 6am-2:30pm 1st shift (or 2:30pm-11pm 2nd shift with a $2.50/hr shift differential). Pre-shift: locker-room + hair-net + smock + food-contact glove + boot-cover + hand-wash; sign-in at the department board; 15-minute shift-handover briefing from the outgoing operator on Line 4 status, quality holds, equipment issues, and current product-run spec (typically 4-oz portions +/- 0.15 oz tolerance for a foodservice customer). Startup: line-clearance walk to verify the previous crew's cleanup + SSOP sign-off; blade-check + tension-check on the Marel I-Cut carrier; HMI recipe-load for the current product; startup ramp to full-speed 6,500 lb/hr production rate; SPC-chart first-piece dimensional + weight check + submit to QA-technician for initial-piece approval. Run: monitor throughput + weight-tolerance + blade condition every 15-30 minutes; touch-panel alarm response for any minor faults; escalate to maintenance-mechanic for anything beyond operator-owned autonomous maintenance scope. Product changeover: at 10am, changeover from foodservice 4-oz spec to retail-tray 2-oz spec; 22-minute changeover including blade adjustment + HMI recipe change + first-piece SPC verification + QA approval. Result: 6,400 lb/hr average throughput on Line 4 in FY24 (99.2% of target); zero USDA FSIS holds on my shift in the last 12 months; OEE 82% against a target of 78%.' Interviewers want real plant, real equipment model, real throughput numbers, real SPC discipline.
Q2. Describe how you'd handle a machine-guarding or LOTO violation that a coworker asks you to bypass.situational
Structured. (1) Recognize the violation β OSHA 29 CFR Β§1910.212 machine-guarding + 29 CFR Β§1910.147 LOTO discipline is federally-required + plant-mandated + non-negotiable. Any bypass request is a documented safety-violation event even if no injury occurs. (2) Refuse the request β respectfully but firmly. Zero-tolerance for guard-removal or LOTO-bypass at every Fortune 500 food + paper + packaging plant; violation is Level 3-4 discipline typically ending in dismissal for repeat or willful violations. (3) Report the request β safety-report to the shift-supervisor + safety-coordinator + union steward within the same shift. Documentation protects you from retaliation claims + creates a record for pattern analysis. (4) Union support β as a UFCW / USW / IBT / BCTGM member, the CBA typically has a Section-7 concerted-activity protection for safety-reporting; the union steward supports the reporting employee. (5) OSHA Section 11(c) β federal anti-retaliation protection for employees who report OSHA violations; retaliation is separately actionable. (6) Root cause β the reason the coworker wanted to bypass (a stuck jam, a difficult changeover, a production-pressure issue) is often a symptom of a broader process problem; escalate to Continuous Improvement Coordinator for kaizen. (7) Never assume good intent β coworkers who bypass safety once will bypass it repeatedly; the pattern is what OSHA + plant leadership tracks. Interviewers screen for candidates who understand this is a career-defining moment: getting it wrong compromises your safety-record credibility and your union-side seniority protection.
Q3. Describe a difficult product run β quality issue, equipment breakdown, or emergency.behavioral
STAR. Situation: slicer operator at Kraft Heinz Springfield MO cheese-processing plant on the Line 8 Weber cheese-loaf slicer running sliced-cheddar for retail-tray customers. Task: complete an 8-hour production run of 24,000 lb of retail-tray cheddar with a hard USDA FSIS + retail-customer commitment. Difficulty: at hour 4 of the run, the Weber slicer's primary blade carrier developed a bearing failure causing intermittent thickness variance (target 0.075-in +/- 0.003-in, actual variance drifting to 0.010-in). Action: (1) at first SPC-chart out-of-control indication, stopped the line + tagged out the primary blade carrier per LOTO; (2) coordinated with maintenance-mechanic on the bearing-failure diagnosis; estimated 90-minute repair vs 6-hour parts-order-and-repair; (3) escalated to shift-supervisor + production planner on the run-vs-hold decision; production planner requested completion of the run using the secondary blade carrier at reduced throughput (from 8,000 lb/hr to 5,500 lb/hr); (4) restarted the line on secondary blade carrier + adjusted HMI recipe for the reduced throughput + verified first-piece SPC + resumed production; (5) coordinated with the QA-technician on 3 in-process weight + dimension audits during the reduced-throughput run to confirm tolerance compliance; (6) completed the run at hour 11 (3 hours over the original plan) with zero USDA FSIS holds + zero customer-scrap events. Result: retail customer received the full 24,000 lb on-time + on-spec; plant-manager commendation for the run-vs-hold decision + secondary-blade-carrier recovery; the incident became a Standard Work update for future bearing-failure response. Interviewers want real equipment, real quality-tolerance numbers, real recovery-plan discipline.
Q4. Why manufacturing operator work rather than warehouse, construction, or CDL trucking?culture
Honest answer that resonates. 'The pay is real and steady β a full-rate operator at Tyson / JBS / Cargill / Kraft Heinz / International Paper / Georgia-Pacific clears $52-72k with the shift differential + overtime, and the benefits + 401(k) match + union representation are among the strongest in blue-collar work. The lead / set-up mechanic + maintenance-mechanic + production-supervisor paths open $72-115k+ within 10-15 years without a bachelor's degree. Manufacturing plants are stable β Fortune 500 food + paper + packaging plants don't shut down cyclically the way construction does, and I'm home every night unlike CDL trucking. UFCW / USW / IBT / BCTGM representation means I have grievance-and-arbitration protection under a CBA; that's not something warehouse or non-union construction gives you. And the process is intellectually engaging β HACCP + SPC + PLC troubleshooting + OEE optimization is real work that gets more interesting with more experience, not less.' Interviewers screen for candidates who chose the industry deliberately.
Q5. Where do you see your career in 5 years?closer
Show the fork clearly. Multiple tracks β hourly-side seniority (operator β lead / set-up mechanic / senior operator at $55-78k with the top pay-step under the CBA through retirement); maintenance-mechanic track (operator β apprentice mechanic β journeyman mechanic at $72-105k+ with multi-craft mechanical + electrical + hydraulic + pneumatic scope); QA-technician track (operator β QA technician β Sr QA technician at $65-95k + LTIP-adjacent bonus with HACCP + FSMA + PCQI credentialing); production-supervisor management track (operator β lead β shift supervisor at $85-115k + LTIP but off the CBA + no overtime); continuous-improvement track (operator β CI coordinator at $85-125k + LTIP with Six Sigma Green / Black Belt certification). I'm on the maintenance-mechanic track. I'm currently a Lead Operator at Kraft Heinz Springfield MO with 8 years on the cheese-slicer lines; I've completed OSHA 10-Hr + LOTO + HACCP + Allen-Bradley PLC / HMI Level 1 vendor training; I'm 6 months into a 2-year AAS Industrial Maintenance program at Ozarks Technical Community College. Within 24-36 months I'd like to bid into the maintenance-mechanic apprenticeship at Kraft Heinz + complete journeyman status at year 5-7; long-term target Maintenance Team Lead at $95-125k + benefits.
Resume Template β Established Operator (3-8 yrs)
Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.
Established Operator (3-8 yrs)
- βΈSlicer operator at Kraft Heinz Springfield MO cheese-processing plant on Line 8 Weber cheese-loaf slicer; 6,400 lb/hr average throughput (99.2% of target) with OEE 82% vs 78% target FY24.
- βΈCertified on 3 slicer lines (Line 4 cheddar retail-tray, Line 8 cheddar foodservice, Line 12 mozzarella retail-tray); zero USDA FSIS holds on my shift in the last 24 months.
- βΈOSHA 10-Hr General Industry + LOTO Authorized Employee + HACCP + FSMA PCQI-in-progress + Allen-Bradley PLC / HMI Level 1 vendor training completed.
- βΈ$54k FY24 W-2 ($22.50/hr + $2.50/hr shift diff + overtime) + full Kraft Heinz benefits + 401(k) 6% match + UFCW Local 617D representation.
What Gets You Rejected
- βAny documented LOTO-bypass or machine-guarding violation β automatic Level 3-4 discipline at every Fortune 500 food + paper + packaging plant; often ends in dismissal for repeat or willful violation.
- βHistory of USDA FSIS or FDA holds on the operator's shift β investigators trace holds back to the operator + the shift; a pattern of holds is a career-limiting record.
- βChronic tardiness or attendance-policy violations β attendance is the #1 discipline category at manufacturing plants; typical CBA attendance policy allows 4-8 occurrences per rolling 12 months before Level 3 escalation.
- βWeak SPC + weight-tolerance discipline β operators who chronically miss the tolerance band drive scrap rate and net-content-labeling exposure; the SPC scorecard is auditable.
- βInability to demonstrate LOTO + machine-guarding fundamentals cold β personal-lock + tag placement, energy-source verification, try-and-verify sequence; these are the specific documented skills OSHA + plant safety auditors check.
- βNo HACCP + FSMA + cGMP + SSOP fluency at food-plant seats β food-safety compliance is federally-required + plant-mandated + non-negotiable; a candidate who can't explain HACCP CCPs is not viable.
- βRefusal to work overtime or weekend shifts during peak-season β food-processing plants often require Saturday production during peak-demand cycles; a chronic overtime-refuser signals lifestyle-mismatch with the industry.
- βReference-check red flags β supervisors who report the operator 'ran off-spec product,' 'left the line to chase down parts,' or 'created quality issues we didn't catch until distribution' are dismissal-track patterns.
Salary Negotiation Levers
- βLine-certification breadth β operators certified on 3-5 lines + shift-flex capability are more valuable than single-line operators; the CBA at most Fortune 500 plants allows a $0.50-2.00/hr multi-line-certification premium.
- βHACCP + PCQI + Six Sigma Green Belt stack β the food-industry credential stack accelerates promotion to lead / QA-technician + adds $2-6k / year to base rate; typically employer-paid training.
- βAllen-Bradley + Siemens PLC / HMI vendor certification β the automation-adjacency credential; the higher-automation-line operator earns a $1.50-3.50/hr differential over the manual-line operator at most Fortune 500 plants.
- βShift differential + overtime + weekend premium β 2nd shift $1.50-2.50/hr + 3rd shift $2.50-3.50/hr + weekend $3.00-5.00/hr (varies by CBA); a shift-flex operator can add $8-18k / year by bidding into higher-differential shifts.
- βPeak-season overtime β food-processing peak seasons (Thanksgiving-Christmas at turkey / poultry, Q2 grilling season at beef / burger patties, back-to-school at bread + snack) can add 20-40% to a base year with 6-day weeks + 12-hour shifts.
- βMaintenance-mechanic apprenticeship bid β the journeyman-track credential; a 4-8 year apprenticeship at Kraft Heinz / Tyson / International Paper / Georgia-Pacific opens $85-115k + benefits at the journeyman rate.
- βPlant + regional-metro premium β mid-Atlantic + Great Lakes + Pacific Northwest manufacturing corridors (Milwaukee, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Green River WY, Sheboygan, Springfield MO, Fort Worth, Wichita) pay 5-15% above the deep-South food-processing corridor for the same seat.
- βUFCW / USW / IBT / BCTGM CBA cycle β the multi-year national contract at Fortune 500 food + paper + packaging plants sets the wage grid; watch for the next contract cycle at your CBA-covered employer as the biggest structural earnings lever.
- βSign-on / referral bonus at post-pandemic hiring-tight food-processing plants β $500-3,000 sign-on + $500-1,500 referral bonuses are increasingly common at Tyson / JBS / Cargill / Smithfield / Perdue after the COVID-era workforce disruption.
- βTuition reimbursement β Section 127 caps at $5,250/yr federal tax-free; Fortune 500 employers routinely top this up for AAS Industrial Maintenance + AAS Food Science + BS Manufacturing Engineering programs at $10-18k/yr.
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- β Missing skills / keywords flagged
- β Formatting + ATS-readability feedback
- β 7-day turnaround, 100% refund if we miss it
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Career Kit β $19
- β All 13 interview questions with expert answers
- β 8 real questions aggregated from Glassdoor, Blind, Reddit, LinkedIn
- β Interview format intel for 8 top employers
- β 3 copy-paste salary negotiation emails
- β Resume bullets for every level of the career ladder
- β 30β60β90 day plan for your first role
- β Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
- β Detailed salary negotiation script
- β Ranked list of certifications with cost + ROI
- β Downloadable PDF for offline access
- β Instant access, no expiration, no subscription
β 7-day money-back guarantee β no questions asked
One-time purchase. 7-day refund guarantee.
Sample reviews β real customer reviews will appear here as they come in.
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βCopy-paste negotiation emails are worth the price alone. I used the 'accepting with counter' template and got an extra $8k signing bonus.β
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Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Career Growth Kit β $29
Already working as a cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders? This kit is for building your case for the next promotion or raise β not for getting hired.
- β Self-review draft mapped to cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders competencies
- β Promotion packet outline with evidence appendix structure
- β 30β60β90 day evidence-collection plan
- β Promotion committee anticipation guide
- β Tenure and pay reference bands by level
- β Downloadable PDF for offline access
β 7-day money-back guarantee β no questions asked
One-time purchase. 7-day refund guarantee.
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary by State
Best Cities (cost-adjusted) βSalary Map β Click a state for details
$33K$58Kβ No data
Top Paying States
Minnesota
$58K
+25%
Vermont
$52K
+12%
Colorado
$52K
+11%
Montana
$52K
+11%
Oregon
$51K
+10%
Missouri
$51K
+9%
Washington
$50K
+8%
New Hampshire
$50K
+8%
Illinois
$50K
+7%
New York
$50K
+7%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
| State | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $58,260 | +25.1% |
| Vermont | $52,220 | +12.1% |
| Colorado | $51,750 | +11.1% |
| Montana | $51,540 | +10.7% |
| Oregon | $51,180 | +9.9% |
| Missouri | $50,930 | +9.4% |
| Washington | $50,430 | +8.3% |
| New Hampshire | $50,290 | +8.0% |
| Illinois | $49,740 | +6.8% |
| New York | $49,680 | +6.7% |
Showing 1β10 of 47
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Wilmington, NC | $63,550 | +36.5% |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $62,620 | +34.5% |
| St. Cloud, MN | $58,450 | +25.5% |
| Topeka, KS | $56,610 | +21.6% |
| Yakima, WA | $56,030 | +20.3% |
| Bend, OR | $55,660 | +19.5% |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $54,950 | +18.0% |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $54,280 | +16.6% |
| Gettysburg, PA | $54,100 | +16.2% |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $53,680 | +15.3% |
Showing 1β10 of 171
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
How does this compare to pro athletes?
A cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders earning $46,570/year would need 1280 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 1374 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
See all sports & celebrity salaries βπ See how cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders salaries have changed over the past decade.
View Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary trend (2011β2024) β