Recycling

Packaging technologist

Packaging technologists design and develop packaging for different products.

Annual Salary

£23,000 to £40,000

Working hours

40 to 42 a week

You could work: days / nights / weekends; flexibly

4.3%
Future employment

There will be 4.3% more Packaging technologist jobs in 2029.
In your local area

What's it all about?

Day-to-day tasks

As a packaging technologist you could:

  • produce sample packaging to test different materials and designs
  • run production trials
  • make sure packaging meets quality standards and is safe
  • work closely with product designers and production engineers
  • research ways to make packaging more environmentally friendly
  • write technical reports

We've identified this as a potential green job

For a packaging technologist to be a green job, you could:

  • design packaging that can be reused many times
  • reduce the amount of product packaging to cut down on waste
  • create clear labelling to help customers understand what can be recycled

Find out more about green careers

Working environment

You may need to wear protective clothing.

You could work in a laboratory, in a factory or in an office.

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
University

You could do a foundation degree, a higher national diploma or a degree in packaging technology or packaging design.

Employers may also accept subjects like:

  • materials science
  • food technology
  • 3D design
  • chemistry

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
For more information
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • student finance for fees and living costs|https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
  • university courses and entry requirements|https://www.ucas.com/
Apprenticeship

You can apply for a Packaging Professional Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.

This can take 4 years to complete and is a mix of on-the-job training and off-site study.

Work

You could start as an assistant technologist or designer and do further training on the job to become a professional packaging technologist.

Further information

You can learn more about the packaging industry from the Packaging Group.

More information

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With experience, you could move into:product design; brand design; project management; marketing and sales

You could also work freelance as a packaging consultant.

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

  • design skills and knowledge
  • knowledge of engineering science and technology
  • the ability to come up with new ways of doing things
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • analytical thinking skills
  • persistence and determination
  • the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
  • thinking and reasoning skills
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
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