Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders
Explore safer careers (5)
Lower estimated automation risk
Why it fits
Food-process experience can support testing and QA labs with targeted technical training.
Why it fits
Oven, kiln, drying, heat-control, and equipment-monitoring skills carry over directly.
Why it fits
Process control, sanitation, records, and product-quality knowledge help in QA roles.
Why it fits
Temperature control, food handling, sanitation, and production monitoring transfer well.
Why it fits
Roasting, baking, drying, food safety, and oven experience transfer to bakery production.
Occupation snapshot
What does this snowflake show?
What's this?
We rate jobs using four factors. These are:
- Chance of being automated
- Job growth
- Wages
- Volume of available positions
These are some key things to think about when job hunting.
Risk & user votes
Calculated automation risk
High Risk (61-80%): This occupation shows a significant risk of end-to-end replacement by automation. Many core parts of the role may be structured, repeatable, software-driven, or physically predictable enough for AI, machines, or robotic systems to take over. If you work in this area, it may be worth exploring safer related careers or moving towards more human-centred responsibilities.
More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.
Human strengths important in this job
These are human abilities and work contexts that are important in this occupation. They may help explain why parts of the role are harder to replace end-to-end, but they are not the only inputs into the automation score.
Decision-making and problem solving
Very importantWhy this matters
Coordinating others’ work
Quite importantWhy this matters
Coaching and developing others
Quite importantWhy this matters
Consulting and advising others
Quite importantWhy this matters
What users think
Based on 16 votes
Our visitors have voted they are unsure if this occupation will be automated. However, the automation risk level we have generated suggests a much higher chance of automation: 77% chance of automation.
What do you think the risk of automation is?
What is the likelihood that Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?
View sentiment trend
Pay & outlook
Wages
In 2024, the median annual wage for Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders was $42,730 ($21 per hour).
The median annual wage for Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders was 13.7% lower than the national median annual wage, which stood at $49,500.
View wage trend
Wages over time
Growth
The number of 'Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders' job openings is expected to rise 0.6% by 2034
View employment trend
Total employment, and estimated job openings
Updated projections are due 09-2025.
Volume
As of 2024 there were 19,500 people employed as 'Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders' within the United States.
This represents around < 0.001% of the employed workforce across the country
Put another way, around 1 in 7 thousand people are employed as 'Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders'.
People also viewed
Job description
Operate or tend food or tobacco roasting, baking, or drying equipment, including hearth ovens, kiln driers, roasters, char kilns, and vacuum drying equipment.
O*NET-SOC code: 51-3091.00
What people are saying (1)
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