Your work. Your records.
Hand Packer Workplace Records Guide
Hand packers may inspect products, count materials, assemble containers and record completed orders. A productivity or pay concern needs to account for the specific packing task and any change in the product or container. Describe the assignment you received and the work you completed, rather than treating every package as equivalent.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Packing method
Identify assembly, padding, weighing, inspection or sealing requirements that distinguish the assignment from other work.
Output definition
Record what the stated target counted and whether rejected items or repacking appeared in that total.
Shift changes
List moves between orders or stations, who directed them and how they affected your recorded work sequence.
Start with the work you actually do
Pack or package by hand a wide variety of products and materials.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Packers and Packagers, Hand (53-7064.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Examine and inspect containers, materials, or products to ensure that product quality and packing specifications are met.Source task 21216 · updated 08/2020
- Measure, weigh, and count products and materials.Source task 3212 · updated 08/2020
- Record product, packaging, and order information on specified forms and records.Source task 3214 · updated 08/2020
- Seal containers or materials, using glues, fasteners, nails, and hand tools.Source task 3216 · updated 08/2020
- Assemble, line, and pad cartons, crates, and containers, using hand tools.Source task 3218 · updated 08/2020
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Packers and Packagers, Hand (SOC 53-7064). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $12.87 | $15.28 | $17.93 | $31,770 |
| Alaska | $16.81 | $20.04 | $22.60 | $41,670 |
| Arizona | $15.85 | $17.82 | $20.54 | $37,060 |
| Arkansas | $14.87 | $16.31 | $17.71 | $33,930 |
| Connecticut | $16.55 | $17.25 | $18.97 | $35,890 |
| Delaware | $17.39 | $17.93 | $19.23 | $37,290 |
| Florida | $13.27 | $13.60 | $16.66 | $28,280 |
| Georgia | $13.39 | $15.99 | $18.22 | $33,260 |
| Hawaii | $14.49 | $17.28 | $20.59 | $35,930 |
| Idaho | $13.78 | $17.75 | $20.65 | $36,920 |
| Indiana | $16.07 | $17.99 | $21.08 | $37,420 |
| Iowa | $15.99 | $18.02 | $20.68 | $37,470 |
| Kansas | $18.28 | $21.38 | $21.43 | $44,460 |
| Kentucky | $15.91 | $17.72 | $21.75 | $36,850 |
| Louisiana | $10.51 | $13.32 | $17.63 | $27,710 |
| Maine | $14.74 | $17.47 | $20.16 | $36,330 |
| Michigan | $15.03 | $16.99 | $18.26 | $35,340 |
| Minnesota | $17.62 | $19.38 | $22.57 | $40,310 |
| Mississippi | $13.01 | $15.98 | $17.20 | $33,240 |
| Missouri | $16.08 | $18.11 | $19.35 | $37,670 |
| Montana | $13.81 | $16.81 | $20.77 | $34,960 |
| Nebraska | $17.13 | $18.69 | $22.07 | $38,880 |
| New Hampshire | $14.14 | $14.76 | $16.64 | $30,700 |
| New Mexico | $12.58 | $13.50 | $17.11 | $28,070 |
| New York | $16.46 | $17.91 | $20.85 | $37,260 |
| North Carolina | $14.01 | $16.52 | $18.77 | $34,360 |
| North Dakota | $12.93 | $15.11 | $19.06 | $31,440 |
| Ohio | $15.56 | $17.79 | $19.61 | $37,000 |
| Oklahoma | $13.56 | $16.60 | $19.35 | $34,520 |
| Pennsylvania | $16.17 | $17.77 | $20.38 | $36,960 |
| Rhode Island | $15.13 | $17.66 | $21.43 | $36,730 |
| South Dakota | $13.45 | $13.83 | $17.36 | $28,760 |
| Tennessee | $14.65 | $17.30 | $19.45 | $35,980 |
| Texas | $13.62 | $15.91 | $17.88 | $33,090 |
| Utah | $14.73 | $17.34 | $19.16 | $36,060 |
| Vermont | $17.53 | $18.96 | $20.98 | $39,440 |
| Virginia | $14.12 | $16.83 | $19.21 | $35,000 |
| West Virginia | $13.30 | $13.82 | $17.63 | $28,740 |
| Wisconsin | $15.05 | $17.31 | $20.79 | $36,010 |
| Wyoming | $13.58 | $15.44 | $17.47 | $32,110 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Describe the packing specification
Note the general product type, package size and inspection or padding requirements relevant to your concern. Identify who provided the instructions and whether they changed during the shift. Distinguish repacking rejected material from completing new orders. Do not copy customer order information or proprietary product specifications into your personal account of the work.
Give counts and interruptions context
If a review relied on output, identify the period measured and whether you counted units, containers or completed orders. Note shortages, material movement, damaged supplies or waiting for a quality decision that you personally observed. Keep estimates separate from recorded counts. Explain your assigned activity during interruptions without assuming the output measure captured it.
Use personal employment records
Compare your shift account with your own time entries, pay statements and permitted supervisor messages. Keep any correction request with the response. Production logs, shipping labels and customer information should remain in approved systems. If an order or quality record could clarify the issue, describe its type and where it is maintained for a reviewer.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
Call now(800) 800-5555Current service-state coverage
AK, AL, AR, AZ, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY. Eligibility is evaluated individually; this list does not promise representation.
Explore state resources