Your work. Your records.
Paper Machine Operator Workplace Records Guide
Paper-goods machines combine forming, cutting, sealing or other operations whose settings affect one another. When a workplace concern involves defects or throughput, identify your assigned machine stage and the conditions present when you took over.
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
Startup period
Note the preparation and adjustment work required before the machine began its assigned run.
Material change
Record when a different paperboard or product specification was introduced during the shift.
Maintenance handoff
Identify when an issue moved from operator adjustment to maintenance responsibility.
Start with the work you actually do
Set up, operate, or tend paper goods machines that perform a variety of functions, such as converting, sawing, corrugating, banding, wrapping, boxing, stitching, forming, or sealing paper or paperboard sheets into products.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (51-9196.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Examine completed work to detect defects and verify conformance to work orders, and adjust machinery as necessary to correct production problems.Source task 12678 · updated 08/2018
- Observe operation of various machines to detect and correct machine malfunctions such as improper forming, glue flow, or pasteboard tension.Source task 12683 · updated 08/2018
- Start machines and move controls to regulate tension on pressure rolls, to synchronize speed of machine components, and to adjust temperatures of glue or paraffin.Source task 12679 · updated 08/2018
- Disassemble machines to maintain, repair, or replace broken or worn parts, using hand or power tools.Source task 12689 · updated 08/2018
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (SOC 51-9196). 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 | $18.45 | $25.14 | $30.80 | $52,290 |
| Arizona | $19.64 | $23.63 | $24.46 | $49,160 |
| Arkansas | $21.40 | $23.38 | $27.55 | $48,630 |
| Connecticut | $20.75 | $23.33 | $31.11 | $48,530 |
| Delaware | $18.46 | $23.13 | $24.45 | $48,110 |
| Florida | $20.30 | $23.51 | $29.43 | $48,910 |
| Georgia | $21.57 | $24.12 | $28.85 | $50,160 |
| Idaho | $24.67 | $27.86 | $27.97 | $57,950 |
| Indiana | $22.20 | $23.45 | $27.56 | $48,780 |
| Iowa | $18.72 | $22.17 | $32.37 | $46,110 |
| Kansas | $18.13 | $22.04 | $24.59 | $45,840 |
| Kentucky | $24.42 | $27.91 | $29.45 | $58,050 |
| Louisiana | $23.81 | $28.00 | $36.45 | $58,230 |
| Maine | $24.26 | $29.70 | $31.20 | $61,780 |
| Michigan | $23.19 | $24.30 | $29.14 | $50,540 |
| Minnesota | $22.72 | $27.96 | $30.44 | $58,150 |
| Mississippi | $19.77 | $22.78 | $28.19 | $47,380 |
| Missouri | $21.28 | $22.87 | $27.45 | $47,560 |
| Nebraska | $20.11 | $23.07 | $23.78 | $47,980 |
| New Hampshire | $22.93 | $24.13 | $29.44 | $50,200 |
| New Mexico | $22.14 | $25.93 | $27.80 | $53,930 |
| New York | $21.63 | $25.39 | $29.41 | $52,800 |
| North Carolina | $18.40 | $23.05 | $27.34 | $47,940 |
| Ohio | $21.30 | $22.81 | $27.49 | $47,450 |
| Oklahoma | $23.54 | $30.60 | $32.90 | $63,640 |
| Pennsylvania | $21.82 | $24.89 | $29.43 | $51,780 |
| Rhode Island | $18.13 | $23.42 | $23.68 | $48,710 |
| South Dakota | $18.42 | $22.55 | $22.85 | $46,910 |
| Tennessee | $17.82 | $22.56 | $26.95 | $46,920 |
| Texas | $18.87 | $23.00 | $26.16 | $47,830 |
| Utah | $23.82 | $29.23 | $29.75 | $60,790 |
| Virginia | $19.16 | $23.99 | $29.06 | $49,900 |
| Wisconsin | $23.00 | $27.91 | $29.93 | $58,050 |
“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 production handover
Record the product type, assigned operation and any unresolved issue reported by the previous shift. Note when material or work-order changes reached you. Keep startup work separate from a stable production run when describing output expectations.
Trace the first defect
Describe the visible defect or machine behavior you observed and when you notified the responsible person. Record any instruction to adjust tension, forming or adhesive flow without retaining confidential settings. Separate your observation from a later maintenance diagnosis.
Keep process records in place
Do not export machine recipes, customer orders or detailed production logs. Retain your own time entries and permitted employment correspondence. Identify the relevant quality or maintenance record by date and location for authorized review.
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.
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