Candy machine operator
Also known as: candy machine operative, sweets machine operator, candy production worker, candy production operative
About this occupation
Candy machine operators tend machines that mix candy ingredients. They tend machines that weigh, measure, and mix ingredients. They form soft candies by spreading candy onto cooling and warming slabs cutting them manually or mechanically. They cast candies in moulds or by machine that extrudes candy.
Essential skills and knowledge
- adhere to organisational guidelines
- apply requirements concerning manufacturing of food and beverages
- lift heavy weights
- produce confectionery from chocolate
- apply GMP
- apply HACCP
- perform cleaning duties
- ensure public safety and security
- operate weighing machine
- be at ease in unsafe environments
- mould chocolate
- disassemble equipment
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (O*NET 51-9041.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Adjust machine components to regulate speeds, pressures, and temperatures, and amounts, dimensions, and flow of materials or ingredients.
- Press control buttons to activate machinery and equipment.
- Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to standards, using measuring devices such as templates, micrometers, or scales.
- Monitor machine operations and observe lights and gauges to detect malfunctions.
- Clear jams, and remove defective or substandard materials or products.
- Notify supervisors when extruded filaments fail to meet standards.
- Typical education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Investigative
Top skills: Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening
US median pay: US$45,760 a year (2025), 58,770 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).
- MetalworkO*NET: MechanicalVery important (3.5)
- Computer StudiesO*NET: Computers and ElectronicsImportant (3.1)
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.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers
- Machine Feeders and Offbearers
- Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
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.