How To Become A Mixer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a mixer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Mixers take chemicals and raw materials, combining them for manufacturing processes. They are also in charge of sampling and inspecting the materials to ensure that everything follows the regulatory standards set by the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). Compliance with safety guidelines is an integral part of being a mixer, as many people have been harmed by poorly implemented or outright ignored OSHA and FDA protocols.

Mixers also keep production schedules on track. They often handle high volumes of materials and have to be meticulous about labels and measurements.

Mixers in the United States earn about $29,000 a year on average. While that might seem a bit low, mixers' average yearly salaries have been on the rise since 2012 and are expected to grow even further. The manufacturing, automotive, or retail industries, in particular, offer competitive yearly salaries of $30,000 or higher to their mixers.

ScoreMixerUS Average

Salary

2.7

Avg. Salary $34,891

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

8.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.95%

Asian 4.73%

Black or African American 8.58%

Hispanic or Latino 18.80%

Unknown 4.15%

White 62.78%

Gender

female 11.02%

male 88.98%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress Level

6.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.3

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

3.9

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a mixer

Explore mixer education requirements

Most common mixer degrees

High School Diploma

54.0 %

Diploma

15.1 %

Associate

13.1 %

Start to develop specific mixer skills

Skills	Percentages
Basic Math	18.30%
Math	15.17%
Mixers	9.27%
Safety Procedures	7.46%
Production Schedules	4.70%

Complete relevant mixer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New mixers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a mixer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real mixer resumes.

Research mixer duties and responsibilities

Test each batch with QA.
Perform QA inspection on products on and off production line.
Operate equipment including beaters, extruders, and discharge pipes.
Produce high grade plastics from recycle and raw materials using extruders.

Apply for mixer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a mixer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do mixers rate their job?