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Dairy Products Manufacturing Workers


Overview

Dairy Products Manufacturing Workers

Introduction

Dairy products manufacturing workers set up, operate, and tend continuous-flow or vat-type equipment to process milk, cream, butter, cheese, ice cream, and other dairy products following specified methods and formulas. They may also be known as dairy processing equipment operators.

Quick Facts


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Median Salary

$40,000

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Employment Prospects

Fair

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Minimum Education Level

High School Diploma


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Experience

On-the-job training


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Skills

Interpersonal
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Personality Traits

Conventional
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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 lo...

Work Environment

Because of the strict health codes and sanitary standards to which they must adhere, dairy plants are generally clean, well-ventilated workplaces, equipped with modern, well-maintained machines. When workplace safety rules are followed, dairy processing plants are not hazardous places to work. 

Workers in this industry generally report for work as early as 6:00 A.M., with ...

Outlook

The 1996 Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act (also known as the 1996 Farm Act) phased out price supports for agricultural produce. Only the larger, more financially sound farms were able to compete in international and domestic markets, and owners of many small farms consolidated with larger operations or left agricultural production. However, as of 2018, the U.S. Department of Agric...