What do they do?

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.

Also known as:

Coater Operator, Glue Line Operator, Glue Reel Operator, Gluer Machine Operator, Gluing Pressman, Laminator, Machine Operator, Perfect Bind Machine Operator, Sealer Operator, Spreader Operator, Utility Worker

Typical Wages

Projected Growth Rate

Employment of Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders is projected to grow 2 percent from 2020 to 2030, more slowly than average compared to all occupations.

Projected Employment in OH

No Data Available
  • 2.3%

    Change

    Ranks #23 in job growth rate
    110

    Job Openings

    Ranks #1 in net job growth

Looking for colleges that offer a specific major? Use the College Match Tool to find your best-matched schools and discover your estimated Net Price!

Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (<1%)
  • Master's degree  (2%)
  • Bachelor's degree  (2%)
  • Associate's degree  (10%)
  • Some college, no degree  (17%)
  • High school diploma equivalent  (51%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (17%)

People in this career often have these skills:

  • Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
  • Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

People in this career often know a lot about:

  • Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
  • Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Static Strength - The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
  • Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Trunk Strength - The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  • Rate Control - The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Align parts or workpieces to ensure proper assembly.
  • Adjust equipment controls to regulate flow of production materials or products.
  • Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions.
  • Notify others of equipment repair or maintenance needs.
  • Adjust temperature controls of ovens or other heating equipment.
  • Load materials into production equipment.
  • Conduct test runs of production equipment.
  • Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
  • Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
  • Study blueprints or other instructions to determine equipment setup requirements.
  • Exchange information with colleagues.
  • Stack finished items for further processing or shipment.
  • Remove products or workpieces from production equipment.
  • Monitor instruments to ensure proper production conditions.
  • Record operational or production data.
  • Clear equipment jams.
  • Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
  • Clean production equipment.
  • Maintain production or processing equipment.
  • Move products, materials, or equipment between work areas.
  • Operate forklifts or other loaders.
  • Measure ingredients or substances to be used in production processes.
  • Mix substances to create chemical solutions.
  • Operate heating or drying equipment.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 28.1 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

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Join thousands of students and parents learning about finding the right college, admissions secrets, scholarships, financial aid, and more.

College Raptor Loading Screen College Raptor Loading Screen