Food Processing Machine Operators
Job description
These individuals operate machines in the food processing industry. They work for:
- Dairy Product Manufacturers
- Fruit and vegetable canning plants
- Meat packing plants
- Leaf tobacco product mills
- Bakeries and Pastry Shops
- Breweries
- Mills
- Sugar refineries
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
- Equipment, machinery, tools
- Odours
- Nontoxic dust
- Noise
- Fire, steam, hot surfaces
Main tasks
- Operate machines that process and package food products.
- Check processing conditions.
- Make various adjustments (cooking times, flow rates, temperatures, etc.).
- Install, adjust, and unlock machines.
- Check products to ensure compliance with current standards.
- Keep production records.
- Clean machines and immediate work areas.
Advancement and mobility
- Experience leads to senior or supervisory positions.
- There is some mobility among operators working in the industry.
Hourly wage
The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2020 to 2022.- Minimum
- $15.25
- Median
- $21.00
- Maximum
- $30.00
Job prospects for 2023-2027
sr.comparaison-region.titre
Job prospects for 2023-2027
Job prospects
All of Québec
All of Québec
Total jobs for 2022
All of Québec
All of Québec
Gender distribution
All of Québec
- 28.8% Female
- 71.2% Male
- 28.8% Female
- 71.2% Male
Job types
All of Québec
- Full time
- Part time
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2020
All of Québec
All of Québec
Other characteristics
All of Québec
- Non traditional for women
- None
All of Québec
- Non traditional for women
- None
Sectors of activity
All of Québec
-
NAICS 311, 31273% of jobs
-
NAICS 416% of jobs
-
NAICS 44, 453% of jobs
-
NAICS 722% of jobs
-
NAICS 3262% of jobs
-
Others14% of jobs
All of Québec
-
NAICS 311, 31273% of jobs
-
NAICS 416% of jobs
-
NAICS 44, 453% of jobs
-
NAICS 722% of jobs
-
NAICS 3262% of jobs
-
Others14% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Secondary
DVS in opération d'équipements de production
Placement rate: 80.4%
13.3% of graduates pursue further studies
DVS in production Equipment Operation
Placement rate: 41.4%
58.6% of graduates pursue further studies
Sometimes required
- Forklift Operator competency card may be required.
- Experience as a Labourer or Machine Operator in the processing of food, beverage, and related products usually required.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Information processing
- Result evaluation
- Operations and control
- Reading comprehension
- Critical thought
- Monitoring operations
- Coordination
- Active listening
- Written expression
- Oral expression
Abilities
- Information organization
- Near vision
- Oral comprehension
- Awareness of issues
- Written comprehension
- Manual dexterity
- Control accuracy
- Hand-arm stability
- Selective attention
- Speech clarity
- Classification
- Digital dexterity
- Verbal skills
- Deductive reasoning
- Perception speed
- Speech recognition
Knowledge and attributes
- Autonomy
- Capacity to work in a team
- Knowledge of production and treatment
- Sense of initiative
- Tolerance to stress
- Respect standards and regulations
- Knowledge of public safety and security
- Availability
- Knowledge of plant and animal production
- Timeliness
Interests
- Make, build, install
- Work manually
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Realistic
- People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
- Conventional
- People with this profile prefer specific, well-defined tasks. They like to respect the order of things and follow established rules.
- Investigative
- People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
Official name of the NOC 94140
Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing
Job titles
- Brewer
- Assistant brewer - food and beverage processing
- Packaging machine adjuster
- Meat moulder - food and beverage processing
- Spinner - food and beverage processing
- Dry starch maker helper
- Assistant miller - food and beverage processing
- Flavourer - tobacco processing
- Tobacco flavourer
- Miller - food and beverage processing
- Spice miller
- Bone crusher - food and beverage processing
- Coffee grinder
- Cocoa-nib grinder
- Grain miller
- Vegetable grinder - food and beverage processing
- Booker - tobacco processing
- Winery cellarman/woman - food and beverage processing
- Cigar maker
- Machine cigar maker
- Turret machine tender - tobacco processing
- Hand cigar maker
- Candy-spinning machine operator - food and beverage processing
- Press operator - tobacco processing
- Cigarette maker
- Frozen stick novelty maker - food and beverage processing
- Flavour maker - tobacco processing
- Candy maker
- Candy centre maker
- Yeast cutter
- Retort battery cook - food and beverage processing
- Offal cooker - food and beverage processing
- Pet food cook - food and beverage processing
- Distillery cooker - food and beverage processing
- Cereal baker - food and beverage processing
- Confectionery cooker
- Canned goods cooker
- Corn chips cooker
- Cheese cooker
- Process cheese cooker
- Fruit cooker - food and beverage processing
- Pie filling cooker
- Grain cooker - food and beverage processing
- Corn cooker - food and beverage processing
- Tobacco casing fluid cooker - tobacco processing
- Sugar boiler
- Tripe cooker - food and beverage processing
- Meat cook - food and beverage processing
- Ice cream decorator - food and beverage processing
- Germ separator - food and beverage processing
- Chocolate temperer
- Brewery stillman/woman - beverage processing
- Distilled liquors stillman/woman - food and beverage processing
- Distillery skimmer
- Beer carton packer
- Cigarette stamper
- Candy puller and roller
- Linseed oil extractor
- Vegetable oil extractor
- Solvent process vegetable oil extractor
- Citrus juice extractor
- Starch maker - food and beverage processing
- Dry starch maker
- Peanut butter maker
- Puffed cereal maker
- Cone maker - food and beverage processing
- Ice cream maker
- Ice cream novelty maker
- Popcorn candy maker
- Pasta maker - food and beverage processing
- Sausage maker
- Precooked sausage maker
- Lollipop maker
- Machine pie maker
- Pie dough roller
- Sliced cheese maker
- Marshmallow maker
- Lump maker - tobacco processing
- Marzipan maker
- Dough maker - food and beverage processing
- Plug maker - tobacco processing
- Machine plug moulder - tobacco processing
- Tart maker - food and beverage processing
- Cocoa butter filterer
- Lard renderer - food and beverage processing
- Fry cook - food and beverage processing
- Cheese maker
- Spice fumigator - food and beverage processing
- Grain roaster
- Meat mincer - packaging
- Meat grinder - food and beverage processing
- Snuff can inspector
- Stem roller - tobacco processing
- Starch washer - food and beverage processing
- Maltster - food and beverage processing
- Feed mixer - food and beverage processing
- Merchant miller - food and beverage processing
- Wet process miller - food and beverage processing
- Feed miller - food and beverage processing
- Custom feed miller - food and beverage processing
- Oats miller
- Grain sample miller
- Flour miller
- Chocolate machine moulder
- Hand cigar moulder
- Grain cleaner-dryer - food and beverage processing
- Cereal cleaner
- Pressure cooker operator - food and beverage processing
- Fermenter operator
- Control room operator - food and beverage processing
- Yeast room operator
- Bleacher operator - food and beverage processing
- Process control operator - food and beverage processing
- Fermentation process operator - food and beverage processing
- Still operator - brewery
- Instant powdered foods equipment operator
- Food-colouring equipment operator
- Jam processor operator
- Cake mix equipment operator - food and beverage processing
- Cereal-cleaning equipment operator
- Liquid sugar operator
- Hydrogenation operator - food and beverage processing
- Caramel equipment operator
- Carbonation equipment operator - food and beverage processing
- Nut-roasting equipment operator
- Dry starch operator - food and beverage processing
- Mash operator - food and beverage processing
- Process operator - food and beverage processing
- Milk-processing equipment operator - food and beverage processing
- Honey-processing equipment operator
- Stemming machine operator - tobacco processing
- Pouch line operator - food processing
- Bottling machine operator
- High-speed packer operator - tobacco products
- Enrobing machine operator - food and beverage processing
- Cereal-coating operator
- Tobacco-dressing machine operator - tobacco processing
- Purifier operator - food and beverage processing
- Evaporator operator - food processing
- Instant coffee extractor operator
- Homogenizer operator - food and beverage processing
- Corn sugar refinery operator
- Bolter operator - food and beverage processing
- Cocoa mill operator
- Chicle centrifuge operator - food and beverage processing
- Syrup kettle operator
- Cigarette maker operator
- Filter rod machine operator - tobacco products
- Freezer operator - food and beverage processing
- Corn products sugar crystallizer operator
- Cook tank operator - food and beverage processing
- Cereal cooker and extruder operator
- Coating pan operator - food and beverage processing
- Crusher operator - tobacco processing
- Germ separator operator - food and beverage processing
- Powdered milk dryer operator
- Diffuser operator - food and beverage processing
- Beer filter operator
- Corn sugar filter operator
- Gelatin evaporator filter operator
- Tankhouse operator - food and beverage processing
- Reel oven operator - food and beverage processing
- Conveyor oven operator - food and beverage processing
- Steam oven operator - food and beverage processing
- Fryer operator - food and beverage processing
- Smokehouse operator - food and beverage processing
- Icing machine operator - food and beverage processing
- Strip-cutting and blending operator - tobacco processing
- Plug-cutting machine tender - tobacco processing
- Stem-flattening machine operator - tobacco processing
- Machine operator - tobacco processing
- Machine operator - food and beverage processing
- Cracker and cookie machine operator
- Casing machine operator - food and beverage processing
- Beverage-canning machine operator
- Potato chip machine operator
- Shredder operator - tobacco processing
- Stripping machine operator - tobacco processing
- Bulk-sausage-stuffing machine operator - food and beverage processing
- Box machine operator - food and beverage processing
- Pie-making machine operator
- High-speed machine operator - tobacco products
- Granulating machine tender - tobacco processing
- Gum-sheeting and scoring machine operator - food and beverage processing
- Tobacco-blending machine operator
- Snuff-blending machine operator - tobacco processing
- Cleaning and classifying operator - tobacco processing
- Grain-cleaning machine operator - food and beverage processing
- Shredding machine operator - food processing
- Can-filling machine operator - food and beverage processing
- Candy-rolling machine operator
- Casing machine operator - tobacco processing
- Sterilizer machine operator - food and beverage processing
- Slicing machine operator - food and beverage processing
- Bread slicer operator
- Canning machine operator
- Dairy plant machine operator
- Bakery machine operator - food and beverage processing
- Packaging machine operator - food processing
- Flour mill machine operator
- Grain-processing machine operator
- Tobacco-processing machine operator
- Sugar-processing machine operator
- Fruit and vegetable machine operator
- Malthouse operator - food and beverage processing
- Steam kettle operator - food and beverage processing
- Blender operator - food and beverage processing
- Flour blender operator - food and beverage processing
- Nut mixer operator
- Brine mixer operator - food and beverage processing
- Dressing mixer operator - food and beverage processing
- Dry foods mixer operator
- Distillery grinder operator
- Soya mill operator
- Moulding machine operator - food and beverage processing
- Grist mill operator - food and beverage processing
- Buhr mill operator - food and beverage processing
- Packer operator - tobacco products
- Pasteurizer operator
- Puff gun operator - food and beverage processing
- Applesauce processor operator
- Press operator - food and beverage processing
- Macaroni press operator
- Distillery press operator
- Winery-press operator
- Redrying machine operator - tobacco processing
- Brewhouse operator
- Drying machine operator - tobacco processing
- Dryer and cooler operator - tobacco processing
- Dryer operator - food processing
- Separator operator - food processing
- Starch separator operator
- Steam table operator - food and beverage processing
- Tempering bin operator - food and beverage processing
- Food-flavouring equipment tender
- Winterizer tender - food and beverage processing
- Vegetable canner - food and beverage processing
- Tipping machine tender - tobacco processing
- Votator heat exchanger tender - food and beverage processing
- Tobacco stripper - tobacco processing
- Yeast emulsifier tender - food and beverage processing
- Chocolate coater - food and beverage processing
- Pulper tender - food and beverage processing
- Clarifying equipment tender - food and beverage processing
- Gelatin extractor tender
- Tomato juice extractor
- Tallow extractor tender - food processing
- Rice miller
- Carbonator - food and beverage processing
- Brewery kettle tender - food and beverage processing
- Margarine clarifier - food and beverage processing
- Tobacco conditioner tender
- Fruit preserver - food and beverage processing
- Candy-cutting machine tender
- Curing bin tender - food and beverage processing
- Cocoa bean-shelling machine tender
- Grain dehydrator - food and beverage processing
- Milk dryer - food and beverage processing
- Chocolate chips maker
- Yeast maker
- Distillery yeast maker - food and beverage processing
- Bologna maker
- Fermenter - tobacco processing
- Wine fermenter - food and beverage processing
- Freeze-dry food processor
- Blanching machine tender
- Peanut-blanching machine tender - food and beverage processing
- Cigarette filter machine tender
- Cigarette machine tender
- Conche machine tender
- Tobacco-cutting machine tender
- Screening machine tender - food and beverage processing
- Sausage-peeling machine tender
- Dividing machine tender - food and beverage processing
- Stripping machine tender - tobacco processing
- Tobacco packaging machine tender
- Candy-making machine tender
- Filter cigarette machine tender
- Cube sugar machine tender - food and beverage processing
- Chewing-gum machine tender
- Chub sausage machine tender
- Corn dough machine tender
- Sanding machine tender - food and beverage processing
- Slicing machine tender - food and beverage processing
- Meat canner
- Beer pasteurizer
- Milk pasteurizer - food and beverage processing
- Wine pasteurizer
- Dough-kneading machine tender
- Dry starch worker - food and beverage processing
- Starch press tender
- Beet pulp press tender
- Feed mill production worker
- Cigar patcher
- Roller room equipment tender - food and beverage processing
- Separator-pasteurizer - food processing
- Canned milk sterilizer
- Breaker tank attendant - food and beverage processing
- Roller mill tender - food and beverage processing
- Hammer mill tender - food and beverage processing
- Icing sugar mill tender
- Oil clarifier tender - food and beverage processing
- Crushing machine tender - food and beverage processing
- Starch converter
- Conveyor tender - tobacco processing
- Crystallizer tender - food and beverage processing
- Char filter tender - food and beverage processing
- Melter tender - food and beverage processing
- Cereal oven tender
- Char kiln tender - food and beverage processing
- Pantry worker - food and beverage processing
- Cone and wafer machine tender
- Granulator tender - food and beverage processing
- Tobacco cutter - tobacco processing
- Meat chopper - food and beverage processing
- Strip-cutting machine tender - tobacco processing
- Stem-flattening machine tender - tobacco processing
- Mingler tender
- Feed batch mixer - food and beverage processing
- Fruit mixer - food and beverage processing
- Pie filling mixer
- Gelatin powder mixer
- Frosting mixer - food and beverage processing
- Grain mixer - food and beverage processing
- Margarine blender
- Molasses mixer - food and beverage processing
- Batter and dough mixer - food and beverage processing
- Sponge and dough mixer - food and beverage processing
- Liquor blender - food and beverage processing
- Soft drink powder mixer
- Meat mixer
- Dressing and sauce mixer
- Coffee blender
- Cheese blender - food and beverage processing
- Spice mixer
- Food-mixing machine tender
- Gelatin-blending machine tender
- Turnip waxer - food and beverage processing
- Liquor gallery tender - food and beverage processing
- Centrifugal station tender - food and beverage processing
- Fruit press tender - food and beverage processing
- Corn syrup cooler and decolourizer
- Cooler tender - tobacco processing
- Cooling machine tender - food and beverage processing
- Weigh tank tender - food and beverage processing
- Steam dryer - food and beverage processing
- Yeast dryer
- Mash dryer - food and beverage processing
- Instant coffee dryer
- Snuff dryer - tobacco processing
- Sausage dryer and smoker
- Malt dryer tender - food and beverage processing
- Vegetable dryer tender - food and beverage processing
- Drying drum tender - food and beverage processing
- Grain meal processor - food and beverage processing
- Candied fruit processor
- Maraschino cherry processor - food and beverage processing
- Molasses wort processor
- Retort tender - food and beverage processing
- Brine tank separator tender
- Flumer - food and beverage processing
- Flaking roll tender - food and beverage processing
- Brewery worker
- Cider plant worker
- Lye peel tender - food and beverage processing
- Rice mill worker
- Pretzel baker - food and beverage processing
- Ingredients scaler and dispenser - food and beverage processing
- Edible oil pumper - food and beverage processing
- Brewery pumpman/woman
- Cigarette tipper
- Cigarette cork tipper
- Cigar bunch maker
- Custom feed preparer - food and beverage processing
- Flavour maker - food and beverage processing
- Extract maker - food and beverage processing
- Butter maker
- Gelatin stock maker
- Brown sugar maker
- Cereal maker - food and beverage processing
- Cider maker
- Dextrine maker - food and beverage processing
- Cream cheese maker
- Cottage cheese maker
- Corn germ preparer - food and beverage processing
- Frosting maker - food and beverage processing
- Catsup maker
- Margarine processor
- Mincemeat maker
- Wort maker - food and beverage processing
- Dairy products specialty maker
- Relish maker - food and beverage processing
- Corn syrup maker
- Syrup maker
- Confection syrup maker
- Salad dressing finisher
- Yogurt maker
- Stem cutter - tobacco processing
- Machine stripper - tobacco processing
- Encapsulator - cannabis processing
- Kettleman/woman - food processing
- Granulator - tobacco processing
- Casing machine tender - tobacco processing
- Tobacco leaf grinder
- Snuff grinder - tobacco processing
- Tobacco shredder
- Frozen-dough-baking machine tender
- Bake-off equipment tender - food and beverage processing
- Blender - tobacco processing
- Bulker blender - tobacco processing
- Tobacco leaf blender
- Bulk blender - tobacco processing
- Flavouring mixer - tobacco processing
- Tobacco casing fluid blender
- Tobacco blender
- Tobacco blending line attendant
- Cascade blender - tobacco processing
- Redryer tender - tobacco processing
- Cigar dryer
- Tobacco dryer - tobacco processing
- Dryer tender - tobacco processing
- Steamer - tobacco processing
- Cigar filler mixer and shredder
- Locker plant attendant - food and beverage processing
- Module tender - tobacco processing
- Presser - food and beverage processing
- Corn products starch presser
- Distillery presser
- Fruit presser
- Corn products presser - food and beverage processing
- Console operator - food and beverage processing
- Flour purifier
- Edible oil refiner - food and beverage processing
- Chocolate refiner
- Tallow refiner
- Cheese grater
- Tobacco leaf cutter
- Distilled liquors rectifier - food and beverage processing
- Wort cooler - food and beverage processing
- Packing machine set-up operator
- Bagging machine set-up man/woman - food and beverage processing
- Filling machine set-up man/woman - food and beverage processing
- Pressurized container filler - food and beverage processing
- Hand cigar roller
- Cigarette roller
- Corn flakes roller - food and beverage processing
- Lump roller - tobacco processing
- Tobacco roller
- Bacon curer
- Ham curer
- Meat curer
- Pickling solution injector - food and beverage processing
- Brine man/woman - food and beverage processing
- Meat pickler
- Yeast separator - food and beverage processing
- Process cheese formulator
- Tobacco leaf twister
- Coffee roaster
- Cocoa bean roaster
- Malt roaster - food and beverage processing
- Malt house kiln operator - food and beverage processing
- Food slicer - food and beverage processing
- Steepman/woman - food and beverage processing
- Vinegar maker
- Winemaker - food and beverage processing
Skill type
Manufacturing and utilities
Related occupations
- Bakers
- Butchers - retail and wholesale
- Fish and seafood plant workers
- Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
- Labourers in fish and seafood processing
- Labourers in food and beverage processing
- Supervisors, food and beverage processing
- Testers and graders, food and beverage processing
Last update: February 14, 2024