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Dairy Products Manufacturing Workers

Earnings

Incomes of dairy farmers vary greatly from year to year because prices of farm products fluctuate according to the quantity and quality of milk products and the demand for them. Farmworkers who manage and care for farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals had annual earnings of $26,560 in May 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The top 10 percent earned $41,840 or more and the lowest 10 percent earned $18,410. The DOL reports the following mean annual earnings in 2018 for various workers in the dairy products manufacturing industry:

  • inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers: $44,480
  • cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders: $39,250
  • packaging and filling machine operators and tenders: $36,040
  • food batchmakers: $35,640
  • food cooking machine operators and tenders: $31,400

Dairy workers who move into a managerial position earn considerably more. The DOL reports that full-time, industrial production managers in dairy manufacturing earned mean annual salaries of $105,810. Full-time workers usually receive a full benefits package. 

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