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Heat sealing machine operator

Also called heat seal operator, heat seal operative, hot bar sealer setter

Heat sealing machine operators operate sealing and gluing machines to join items together for further processing or to seal products or packages, using heat.

Will there be jobs?Limited prospects22 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Stationary plant and machine operatorsWhat does it pay?About averageFrom about €1,000 (Bulgaria) to €5,500 (Denmark) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Stationary plant and machine operatorsWhat do I need to study?Upper secondary or vocational6 in 10 finished upper secondary or vocational training.Stationary plant and machine operatorsWill AI change it?Very littleLevel 1 of 6. AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.Packing, bottling and labelling machine operators · ILO

What you'd do

Packing, bottling and labelling machine operators · ILO
  • Operating and monitoring machines that weigh, wrap, seal and pack various products
  • Operating and monitoring machines that fill and seal tubes, bottles, cans, boxes, bags and other containers with products such as food, beverages, paints, oils and lotions
  • Operating and monitoring machines that, by gluing or other methods, label products, packages and various containers
Check quality of raw materialsSupply machineEnsure conformity to specificationsMaintain heat sealing machineryOperate heat sealing machinery+ 5 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors
  • On your feet most of the day
  • Constant contact with people
  • Good freedom to decide
  • Often more than 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines most weeks
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders"

Will there be jobs?

Limited prospects

Fewer jobs than in most work will need filling by 2035.

People working as stationary plant and machine operators in the EU
4.79m4.76m4.7m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
1,125,000 replacing leavers 71,000 jobs disappear
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Stationary plant and machine operators22
All jobs29
Right now
6 of 27 countries report a shortage of packing, bottling and labelling machine operators, 4 a surplus.
Packing, bottling and labelling machine operators · EURES

What does it pay?

About average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,000 a month (Bulgaria) to €5,500 (Denmark), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among plant and machine operators, and assemblers in the EU, women earn 21% less per hour than men. Plant and machine operators, and assemblers · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Upper secondary or vocational

Upper secondary or vocational training is the usual route.

Highest qualification of stationary plant and machine operators (EU, 2025)
Degree 8%Vocational 53%General secondary 10%Basic schooling 29%

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Very little

AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.22 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 3 tasks
Operating and monitoring machines that, by gluing or other methods, label products, packages and various containers0.23
Operating and monitoring machines that weigh, wrap, seal and pack various products0.22
Operating and monitoring machines that fill and seal tubes, bottles, cans, boxes, bags and other containers with products such as food, beverages, paints, oils and lotions0.21

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for packing, bottling and labelling machine operators. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).