Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Packaging and Filling Machine Operator and Tender Salary in Atlanta, GA

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area earn a median $42,320 a year — 2% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $34,611 take-home, or $2,884 a month.

Median salary
$42,320
$20.35 per hour
Typical range
$28,120 – $59,730
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Atlanta, GA
4,720
0.67× national concentration
▼0.5%
Pay trend: The median for packaging and filling machine operators and tenders in Atlanta, GA fell from $42,530 (May 2024) to $42,320 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 2.9%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median packaging and filling machine operator and tender salary in Atlanta, GA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Packaging and Filling Machine Operator and Tender in Atlanta, GA
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$34,611
per year · effective tax rate 18.2%
$2,884Monthly
$1,442Twice a month
$1,331Every 2 weeks
$16.64Hourly
  • Federal income tax$2,898
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,624
  • Medicare (1.45%)$614
  • Georgia income tax$1,574
  • Take-home pay$34,611

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 5.19% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Packaging and Filling Machine Operator and Tender pay by experience in Atlanta, GA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$28,120$13.52$23,930$1,994
25th percentile$37,230$17.90$30,785$2,565
Median (50th)$42,320$20.35$34,611$2,884
75th percentile$50,240$24.15$40,563$3,380
90th percentile (top earners)$59,730$28.72$47,696$3,975

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Georgia resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $42,320 buys in Atlanta, GA

Prices in Atlanta, GA are 0.1% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.11× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median packaging and filling machine operator and tender's $34,611 take-home pay has the buying power of $34,590 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,646
57% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,806
63% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,238
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Packaging and Filling Machine Operator and Tender jobs are less concentrated in Atlanta, GA than nationally (location quotient 0.67), so openings may be scarcer.

Best-paying cities for packaging and filling machine operators and tenders, adjusted for cost of living

Atlanta, GA ranks #12 of 28 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Louisville, KY $48,590$39,639$42,589
2Kansas City, MO $47,530$39,074$42,222
3St. Louis, MO $47,460$39,021$41,037
4Cincinnati, OH $45,570$38,325$40,185
5Columbus, OH $45,600$38,348$40,168
6Indianapolis, IN $45,290$37,264$38,940
7Charlotte, NC $44,330$36,539$37,535
8Grand Rapids, MI $41,890$34,309$35,908
12Atlanta, GA$42,320$34,611$34,590

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 28 metros →

About the job: packaging and filling machine operators and tenders

Operate or tend machines to prepare industrial or consumer products for storage or shipment.

Typical education
High school diploma or equivalent
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
+4.1% (about average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a packaging and filling machine operator and tender make in Atlanta, GA?

The median packaging and filling machine operator and tender salary in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area is $42,320 a year, or about $20.35 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $37,230 and $50,240.

What is a packaging and filling machine operator and tender’s take-home pay in Atlanta, GA?

On the median $42,320 salary, a single filer living in Georgia takes home about $34,611 a year ($2,884 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,574 in Georgia taxes in 2026.

Is Atlanta, GA a good place to work as a packaging and filling machine operator and tender?

Pay here is 2% below the national median of $43,220. Local prices are 0.1% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $34,590 would in a typical U.S. city. Atlanta, GA ranks #12 of 28 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a packaging and filling machine operator and tender afford rent in Atlanta, GA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Atlanta, GA is $1,646 a month ($1,806 for two bedrooms) — 57% of a median packaging and filling machine operator and tender’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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