canning and bottling line operator
Canning and bottling line operators observe bottles and cans passing by during the production process. They stand next to conveyors belts to ensure that bottles are filled to standard levels and that there are no major deviations. They discard defective bottles or cans.
canning and bottling line operator canning and bottling line operators observe bottles and cans passing by during the production process. They stand next to conveyors belts to ensure that bottles are filled to standard levels and that there are no major deviations. The role shows moderate AI exposure (0.50 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include carbonation techniques, tend packaging machines, operate automated process control, tend canning machine, assist bottling.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £26,152 a year for Packers, bottlers, canners and fillers (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £23,628 to £30,343 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 9132). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Plant and machine operators and assemblers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only canning and bottling line operator, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 8. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Public Safety and Security
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mathematics
- Administration and Management
What you'd actually do
- Attach identification labels to finished packaged items, or cut stencils and stencil information on containers, such as lot numbers or shipping destinations.
- Sort, grade, weigh, and inspect products, verifying and adjusting product weight or measurement to meet specifications.
- Stop or reset machines when malfunctions occur, clear machine jams, and report malfunctions to a supervisor.
- Observe machine operations to ensure quality and conformity of filled or packaged products to standards.
- Remove finished packaged items from machine and separate rejected items.
- Monitor the production line, watching for problems such as pile-ups, jams, or glue that isn't sticking properly.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does canning and bottling line operator do?
Canning and bottling line operators observe bottles and cans passing by during the production process. They stand next to conveyors belts to ensure that bottles are filled to standard levels and that there are no major deviations. They discard defective bottles or cans.
What skills does canning and bottling line operator need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include carbonation techniques, tend packaging machines, operate automated process control, tend canning machine, assist bottling, operate forklift. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace canning and bottling line operator?
Our AI-durability model gives canning and bottling line operator a score of 0.50 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.