How to become a packer, bottler, canner or filler
Official title: Packers, bottlers, canners and fillers
Also called: Canner, Filler, Packer, Bottler, Bag filler, Box filler, Can filler, Oil filler, Cop packer, Egg packer, Drum filler, Food packer
Packers, bottlers, canners and fillers pack, wrap, fill, label and seal containers by hand or machine.
Main tasks
- Selects appropriate cylinder, ensures that there is no corrosion or other damage and fills with gas
- Fills tubes, ampoules, bottles, drums, barrels, bags, sacks, cans, boxes and other containers by hand using measuring/weighing aid or by positioning container under feeder spout
- Packs heavy goods in crates and boxes using hoist, mobile crane or similar lifting equipment
- Loads machine with packaging containers, materials, adhesive, etc., loads hopper with items to be packaged/wrapped, monitors filling, wrapping and packaging, adjusts controls as necessary and clears any blockages
- Examines cans, bottles and seals and rejects any that are faulty
- Labels goods by hand or machine
- Packs specialist items according to specifications and completes necessary documentation
How to become one
No academic qualifications are required. Training is typically provided on-the-job and varies according to the type of packing and product. Formal courses are run for specialist packing.
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £26,152 a year The middle half earn £23,628 to £30,343.
- About 89,100 people work in this job now, and about 84,100 are projected by 2035. (-5.5%)
Related jobs
Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz
Questions people ask
How do I become a packer, bottler, canner or filler?
No academic qualifications are required. Training is typically provided on-the-job and varies according to the type of packing and product. Formal courses are run for specialist packing.
How much does a packer, bottler, canner or filler earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £26,152 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £23,628 to £30,343.
Is a packer, bottler, canner or filler a growing career in the UK?
Employment is projected to fall 5% by 2035, from about 89,100 to about 84,100 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a packer, bottler, canner or filler?
Usually not. Only 10% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03