Curing room worker
Also known as: tobacco drying machine tender, tobacco drying worker, curing room operative, tobacco drying machine operator, curing room assistant, tobacco drier
About this occupation
Curing room workers assist in the blending, aging, and fermenting of tobacco strips and stems for the production of cigars, chewing tobacco and snuff.
Essential skills and knowledge
- apply requirements concerning manufacturing of food and beverages
- perform kiln fermentation of tobacco leaves
- perform stacking fermentation of tobacco leaves
- curing methods for tobacco leaves
- cut tobacco leaves
- flavour tobacco leaves
- manufacturing of smoked tobacco products
- blend tobacco leaves
- apply GMP
- assess the colour curing of tobacco leaves
- operate tobacco drying technology
- fermentation process of tobacco leaves
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders (O*NET 51-3091.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Observe, feel, taste, or otherwise examine products during and after processing to ensure conformance to standards.
- Set temperature and time controls, light ovens, burners, driers, or roasters, and start equipment, such as conveyors, cylinders, blowers, driers, or pumps.
- Observe temperature, humidity, pressure gauges, and product samples and adjust controls, such as thermostats and valves, to maintain prescribed operating conditions for specific stages.
- Observe flow of materials and listen for machine malfunctions, such as jamming or spillage, and notify supervisors if corrective actions fail.
- Record production data, such as weight and amount of product processed, type of product, and time and temperature of processing.
- Weigh or measure products, using scale hoppers or scale conveyors.
- Typical education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Enterprising
Top skills: Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Operation and Control
US median pay: US$44,810 a year (2025), 20,370 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageImportant (3.3)
- Agriculture or Foods and NutritionO*NET: Food ProductionImportant (3.0)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. 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. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. 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. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
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Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
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O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. 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. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.