Mid-Level

Balance Weigher

The precision balance anchors the work — at a lab, refinery, mint, or precious-metals operation, you weigh materials to exact specifications, recording results that feed quality, accounting, or scientific records.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
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Director
VP
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Work Personality
C
R
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A
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Conventionalorganizing, detail-oriented
Realistichands-on, practical
Based on Holland Code framework
Job markets for Balance Weighers
Employment concentration · ~177 areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
What it's like

What it's like to be a Balance Weigher

Work happens at calibrated scales accurate to fractions of a gram — sample weighing, batch verification, ingredient measurement, sometimes precious-metals or chemical-precision work. You're often logging readings to ledgers or LIMS systems with the day's outputs traced to specific tickets. Weighing accuracy and record integrity anchor the visible measures.

Where it gets uncomfortable is the calibration discipline behind every weighing — scales drift, environmental conditions affect readings, and the operator's consistency matters. Variance across employers is real: at labs and refineries balance weighers work within structured calibration programs; at industrial production settings the role tilts toward higher-volume process weighing.

Folks who do well here often bring patience for repetitive precision and trust in instrumentation maintenance. The trade-off is modest pay balanced against the steady demand for precision-weighing roles in regulated industries. Metrology and instrumentation credentials anchor advancement.

RelationshipsAbove avg
SupportModerate
IndependenceLower
Working ConditionsLower
AchievementLower
RecognitionLower
O*NET Work Values survey
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns
Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.

$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Balance Weighers (SOC 43-5111.00), not just this title · BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
Exploring the Balance Weigher career path? Truest helps you figure out if it's the right fit — and plan your path forward.
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✦ Editorial — career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.

$35K–$60K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
50K
U.S. Employment
-4.8%
10yr Growth
5K
Annual Openings

How this category is changing

$64K$61K$59K$56K$53K201920202021202220232024$53K$64K
BLS OEWS May 2024 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034

Skills & Requirements

Critical ThinkingReading ComprehensionSpeakingMonitoringSocial PerceptivenessCoordinationQuality Control AnalysisService OrientationActive ListeningPersuasion
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
43-5111.00

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Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) · BLS Employment Projections · O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.