Packaging and Filling Machine Operator and Tender Salary in Grand Rapids, MI
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area earn a median $41,890 a year — 3% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $34,309 take-home, or $2,859 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median packaging and filling machine operator and tender salary in Grand Rapids, MI. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,847
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,597
- Medicare (1.45%)$607
- Michigan income tax$1,530
- Take-home pay$34,309
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.25% state
Living in Grand Rapids? City residents also pay Grand Rapids’s city income tax — about $628 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $33,681 ($2,807 a month). Choose “Grand Rapids” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
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 Grand Rapids, MI
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $31,890 | $15.33 | $26,699 | $2,225 |
| 25th percentile | $36,290 | $17.45 | $30,047 | $2,504 |
| Median (50th) | $41,890 | $20.14 | $34,309 | $2,859 |
| 75th percentile | $49,020 | $23.57 | $39,735 | $3,311 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $63,190 | $30.38 | $50,518 | $4,210 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Michigan resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $41,890 buys in Grand Rapids, MI
Prices in Grand Rapids, MI are 4.5% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 13% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median packaging and filling machine operator and tender's $34,309 take-home pay has the buying power of $35,908 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Grand Rapids, MI has 2.7× the national concentration of packaging and filling machine operator and tender jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.
Best-paying cities for packaging and filling machine operators and tenders, adjusted for cost of living
Grand Rapids, MI ranks #8 of 28 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisville, KY | $48,590 | $39,639 | $42,589 |
| 2 | Kansas City, MO | $47,530 | $39,074 | $42,222 |
| 3 | St. Louis, MO | $47,460 | $39,021 | $41,037 |
| 4 | Cincinnati, OH | $45,570 | $38,325 | $40,185 |
| 5 | Columbus, OH | $45,600 | $38,348 | $40,168 |
| 6 | Indianapolis, IN | $45,290 | $37,264 | $38,940 |
| 7 | Charlotte, NC | $44,330 | $36,539 | $37,535 |
| 8 | Grand Rapids, MI | $41,890 | $34,309 | $35,908 |
*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.
Packaging and Filling Machine Operator and Tender salaries elsewhere in Michigan
- Detroit, MI — $39,300
Frequently asked questions
How much does a packaging and filling machine operator and tender make in Grand Rapids, MI?
The median packaging and filling machine operator and tender salary in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area is $41,890 a year, or about $20.14 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $36,290 and $49,020.
What is a packaging and filling machine operator and tender’s take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI?
On the median $41,890 salary, a single filer living in Michigan takes home about $34,309 a year ($2,859 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,530 in Michigan taxes in 2026.
Is Grand Rapids, MI a good place to work as a packaging and filling machine operator and tender?
Pay here is 3% below the national median of $43,220. Local prices are 4.5% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $35,908 would in a typical U.S. city. Grand Rapids, MI ranks #8 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 Grand Rapids, MI?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Grand Rapids, MI is $1,242 a month ($1,479 for two bedrooms) — 43% of a median packaging and filling machine operator and tender’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Grand Rapids, MI
- First-Line Supervisor of Production and Operating Workers — $66,330
- Machinist — $50,110
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers — $48,920
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing — $47,720
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic — $42,050
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers — $40,430
- Miscellaneous Assembler and Fabricator — $39,120
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic — $37,760