Packer salary

The median pay for a packer nationally is $17.44 an hour — about $36,280 a year full time. That figure comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for U.S. (2025). Half of the roles pay more than this and half pay less, so treat it as the middle of the market rather than a target.

Most packers nationally earn between $13.41 an hour and $22.64 an hour — that is the 10th to the 90th percentile. The spread usually reflects experience, shift, certifications and employer size more than anything else.

Pay at the bottom of the range — roughly what someone starting out can expect — is around $13.41 an hour. A quarter of packers earn below $15.49 an hour, so the first year or two typically sits in that band. This is a role employers routinely fill with people who have no prior experience.

The top 10% of packers nationally earn about $22.64 an hour or more, roughly 1.3× the median. Getting there usually means experience plus something specific — certifications, supervisory duties, specialised skills or premium shifts.

Packers prepare finished goods for shipment — boxing, labelling and palletising by hand or with light equipment. Among the most accessible warehouse roles. Day to day, that means pack products to specification, label and seal cartons, build and wrap pallets and check for damage before dispatch.

The usual route is: (1) apply directly — genuinely entry level, (2) learn picking and shipping alongside packing, (3) add forklift certification, (4) move to lead or inventory roles. Employers typically look for no formal education or experience required, standing for long shifts and repetitive lifting.

Usually not. Most employers hire packers without a specific licence, and train on the job.

There are currently 2 open packers listed on LocalWork. High-volume hiring, with sharp seasonal peaks around holiday fulfilment when employers take on large temporary intakes.