How to become an Adhesive Bonding Machine Operator or Tender

Official title: Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders

Also called: Coater Operator, Glue Line Operator, Glue Reel Operator, Gluer Machine Operator, Gluing Pressman, Machine Operator, Perfect Bind Machine Operator, Sealer Operator, Utility Worker

Operate or tend bonding machines that use adhesives to join items for further processing or to form a completed product. Processes include joining veneer sheets into plywood; gluing paper; or joining rubber and rubberized fabric parts, plastic, simulated leather, or other materials.

Main tasks

• Align and position materials being joined to ensure accurate application of adhesive or heat sealing.
• Adjust machine components according to specifications such as widths, lengths, and thickness of materials and amounts of glue, cement, or adhesive required.
• Monitor machine operations to detect malfunctions and report or resolve problems.
• Start machines, and turn valves or move controls to feed, admit, apply, or transfer materials and adhesives, and to adjust temperature, pressure, and time settings.
• Fill machines with glue, cement, or adhesives.
• Perform test production runs and make adjustments as necessary to ensure that completed products meet standards and specifications.
• Examine and measure completed materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices such as tape measures, gauges, or calipers.
• Read work orders and communicate with coworkers to determine machine and equipment settings and adjustments and supply and product specifications.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $46,460 a year The middle half earn $37,220 to $53,610.
• About 12,100 people work in this job now, and about 12,200 are projected by 2035. (+1.3%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Etchers and Engravers
• Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
• Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing
• Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers

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Questions people ask

How much does an Adhesive Bonding Machine Operator or Tender earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $46,460 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $37,220 to $53,610.

Is an Adhesive Bonding Machine Operator or Tender a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 12,100 people now and 12,200 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become an Adhesive Bonding Machine Operator or Tender?

Usually not. Only 5% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of an Adhesive Bonding Machine Operator or Tender?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.