Process Control and Machine Operators in Food and Beverage Processing

(NOC 9461)

in All Manufacturing and Utilities

Process control and machine operators in this group use machines to process and package food and beverage products. They work in fruit and vegetable processing plants, dairies, flour mills, bakeries, sugar refineries, meat plants, breweries, and other food and beverage processing companies.

Job Outlook

Average

Read more

  • Estimate Moderate growth employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 140 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate Moderate rate of unemployment in 2022

Compared to: All Manufacturing and Utilities

  • Estimate 435 employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 1945 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for these occupation.

Hourly Pay

$14.50

Minimum

$16.75

Median

$33.65

Maximum

Annual Pay

$7,252

Minimum

$31,892

Median

$63,392

Maximum

Compared to: All Manufacturing and Utilities

Hourly Pay

$14.00

Minimum

$20.80

Median

$33.00

Maximum

Annual Pay

$6,056

Minimum

$30,111

Median

$70,518

Maximum

About the job

Nature of work

Process control and machine operators in this group use machines to process and package food and beverage products. They work in fruit and vegetable processing plants, dairies, flour mills, bakeries, sugar refineries, meat plants, breweries, and other food and beverage processing companies.

Job duties

Process control operators:

  • Use process control machinery through control panels, computer terminals or other control systems to grind, extract, mix, blend, cook or otherwise process food products and to bag, box or otherwise package food products.
  • Use process control machinery to grind, extract, mix, blend, distill, ferment or otherwise process alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages and to bottle, can or otherwise package beverages.
  • Watch gauges, computer printouts and video monitors to verify specified processing conditions and adjust process variables like cooking times, ingredient inputs, flow rates and temperature settings.
  • Maintain shift log of production and other data.

Machine operators:

  • Set up and adjust processing and packaging machines before use.
  • Use machines to grind, extract, mix, blend, dry, freeze, cook, or otherwise process food, beverage or related products.
  • Use machines to box, can or otherwise package food, beverage or associated products.
  • Check products to make sure they meet company standards and clear machine blockages as needed.
  • Record production information like quantity, weight, size, date and type of products packaged.
  • Make corrective machine adjustments, clean machines and immediate work areas.

Sample job titles

  • brewery worker
  • cheese maker
  • cider maker
  • coffee roaster
  • dairy plant machine operator
  • fruit and vegetable machine operator
  • packaging machine operator - food processing
  • press operator - food and beverage processing
  • process control operator - food and beverage processing
  • winemaker - food and beverage processing

Skills

  • You should be responsible, alert, and in good physical health. Coordination, agility, and mechanical skills are important. You must also be able to take direction and carry out instructions given by a supervisor.

Job requirements

  • High school may be required.
  • On-the-job training is provided.

Other considerations

  • Shiftwork is common in these jobs. Experience as a labourer in food, beverage or associated products processing may be required for machine operators while experience as a machine operator in food, beverage or associated products processing is usually required for industrial process control operators. There is little movement among the various types of process control operators within the food and beverage processing industry while movement options exist among machine operators within the food, beverage and associated products processing. Process control operators may move to supervisor positions in food and beverage processing with experience while machine operators may move to process control operation or supervisor positions with experience.

By the numbers

Quick look

690

employed in 2016

86.9%

employed full-time

5.8%

self employed

27.7%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
72.3%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
39.2

median age

Compared to: All Manufacturing and Utilities

15,275

employed in 2016

83.2%

employed full-time

3.2%

self employed

27.6%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
72.4%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
44.7

median age

Where will I likely work?

32.1%

Halifax

$36,075 median annual income
27.0%

Annapolis Valley

$23,086 median annual income
22.6%

North Shore

$35,172 median annual income
11.7%

Southern

$25,940 median annual income
6.6%

Cape Breton

$42,729 median annual income

Compared to: All NS Occupations

47.0%

Halifax

15.6%

North Shore

12.9%

Annapolis Valley

12.7%

Cape Breton

11.8%

Southern

Top Industries of Employment

76.1%

Manufacturing

5.5%

Accommodation and food services

5.5%

Retail trade

5.5%

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

3.7%

Wholesale trade

What is the age of Employment?

25.0%

45-54

22.0%

25-34

20.0%

35-44

19.0%

15-24

14.0%

55-64

Compared to: All Manufacturing and Utilities

24.5%

45-54

20.8%

55-64

19.3%

35-44

16.5%

25-34

15.0%

15-24

Top levels of education

47.1%

High school

$25,633 median annual income
18.8%

Less than high school

$32,564 median annual income
11.6%

College Diploma

$36,059 median annual income
9.4%

Trade Certification

$14,841 median annual income
8.7%

Bachelor

$26,399 median annual income

Compared to: All Manufacturing and Utilities

38.1%

High school

$28,505 median annual income
23.3%

Less than high school

$19,224 median annual income
19.9%

College Diploma

$38,781 median annual income
12.2%

Trade Certification

$43,975 median annual income
4.5%

Bachelor

$39,715 median annual income

Education & training

High School Diploma or Equivalent

High School Program

Adults without a high school diploma can contact the Nova Scotia School for Adult Learning (NSSAL) for tuition-free programming across the province. NSSAL oversees adult education programs in Nova Scotia. NSSAL partners with the Nova Scotia Community College, Adult High Schools, Université Sainte-Anne, and community-based learning organizations to deliver programs. NSSAL offers clear, accessible pathways from adult basic education to a high school credential or GED.

Institutions providing this program

Universite Sainte-Anne

Pointe-de-l'Église, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Adult High Schools

Various, NS

Community Learning Organizations

Various, NS

Viticulture and Enology

College or Trades Program

These programs focus on grape growing, winemaking, and the wine business. They include courses in grapes and wines of the world, grape production, winemaking technology, plant biology, chemistry, food science, safety, and packaging, soil science, pest management, and marketing and business management.

Institutions providing this program

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Employment requirements & contacts

No regulating bodies were found under this occupation profile

Contacts

Food & Consumer Products of Canada
Mississauga, ON

Additional resources

There are no additional resources for this occupation.