Ranked by median pay, with jobs and rent share; from BLS and Census data.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
5 metro areas in New Jersey publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 79,950 jobs. The three largest employers of packers and packagers, hand are New York-Newark-Jersey City (51,020 jobs), Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (23,180 jobs), Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton (2,850 jobs), which hold 96.4% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $34,010 to $43,970 a year, against $43,840 for the whole state and $36,280 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $36,280 a year for packers and packagers, hand (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $27,890 and the highest-paid tenth over $47,100). Employment is projected to change by -5.0% between 2025 and 2035, with about 61,800 openings a year including replacements. The typical entry route is: No formal educational credential; on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. Education requirements are BLS's typical ones, not legal rules; many states also license this work, so check the state board before applying.
Higher pay is not the whole story: look at the rent share column (yearly rent divided by median pay) and the price level (100 is the national average). A metro with a lower salary but cheaper housing can leave more money at the end of the month. The location quotient shows where the occupation is concentrated; employers cluster where it is above 1, which usually means more openings and more competition among employers for the same skills.
Packers and packagers, hand in New Jersey: the highest median pay is in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD area ($43,970 a year); the most jobs are in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area (51,020). Statewide the median is $43,840 with 71,260 jobs. Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation are listed; click a column to sort.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ | Price level (US = 100) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 23,180 | $43,970 | $32,220 | $46,840 | 2.22 | 40% | 102.6 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 51,020 | $43,450 | $33,010 | $47,310 | 1.49 | 51% | 112.6 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 2,850 | $37,970 | $29,190 | $60,140 | 2.10 | 43% | 100.0 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 520 | $36,090 | $32,220 | $55,500 | 0.86 | 46% | 98.9 |
| Vineland, NJ | 2,380 | $34,010 | $32,220 | $38,790 | 10.59 | 45% | 96.0 |
National page: Packers and packagers, hand →Cities of New Jersey
Rent uses the metro median gross rent (ACS) and appears only for metros that contain a city of this guide. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure or we have no rent for that metro.
In the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD area, with a median of $43,970 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area, with 51,020 jobs.