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Production Line Mechanic - 1st Shift at CONAGRA

CONAGRA Henning, IL $28+/hour

Job Description

Shift: 5:00 AM-5:15 PM

Hourly Rate: $28.35 an hour

Conagra Brands has the most energized, highest-impact culture in food. Our employees persistently challenge and disrupt marketplace/business conventions and we are respected for our great brands, great food, great margins and consistent results.

Do you have a taste for something big? If you're looking for the opportunity to reach your potential, consider Conagra Brands as your next career destination. At our Henning Conagra Plant, we're producing PAM cooking spray which is a foundation to cooking, baking, or grilling a delicious meal.

Reporting to the Maintenance Supervisor, you will support the operation of our production and office facilities. You will join a team of over 150 associates.

The responsibilities of this position include troubleshooting, removing, installing, replacing, repairing, and testing parts/components on plant and production equipment.

A Day in the Life of a Maintenance Mechanic:

You will maintain the daily responsibility of production machinery, participate in the preventative maintenance for all machinery.

You Will:
  • Keep production equipment in good condition and working order.

  • Inspect machines and equipment to locate problems, replace defective parts and make sure necessary adjustments to ensure continuing production operation.

  • You use manuals, repair manuals, parts manuals, parts diagrams to troubleshoot plant & production equipment.

  • You use hand & power tools to remove, install, replace, re-build, repair, & may test parts/equipment on plant & production equipment.

  • You will do electrical and/or pneumatic work to production machines.

  • You will perform housekeeping & sanitation tasks during & at the end of shift.

  • Maintain food safety and quality.

  • Participates in process improvement efforts (CPS) using their maintenance expertise, to assist all teams and projects.

Do You Have What It Takes:
• High School diploma or GED

• Previous aerosol line mechanic line experience, strong preferred

Overtime may be needed to ensure production demand is fulfilled

This is a physical position. You will be asked to do things like, lifting boxes of up to 50 pounds, climbing stairs, using your hands, and bending/kneeling

This is a manufacturing environment with large machinery and moving parts that can be noisy. Safety is important to us, we provide earplugs and other personal protective equipment

Anticipated Close Date: March 29, 2026

Location: Henning, Illinois

Our Benefits:

We care about your total well-being and will support you with the following, subject to your location and role:

  • Health: Medical, dental and vision insurance, company-paid life, accident and disability insurance
  • Wealth: G reat pay, 401(k)/pension eligibility, financial wellness programs and stock purchase plan
  • Growth: Career development opportunities, employee resource groups and team collaboration
  • Balance: P aid-time off and volunteer opportunities

Our Company:

At Conagra Brands, we have a rich heritage of making great food. We aspire to have the most impactful, energized and inclusive culture in food. As a member of our 18,000+ person team across 40+ locations, you are empowered to reach your potential, make an impact and own your career. We're in the business of building champions - within our people and our iconic brands like Birds Eye , Slim Jim and Reddi-Wip .

Our focus on innovation extends beyond making great food, it also reflects our commitment to embracing new solutions that positively impact our team, the communities we serve and the health of our planet. Foodies Welcome.

Conagra Brands is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, pregnancy, leave status, disability, veteran status, genetic information and/or any other characteristic or status protected by national, federal, state or local law. Reasonable accommodation may be made upon request.

$58k beats the market for Production Workers, All Other nationally

National salary averages
$58k
↑ 50% vs typical mid-level
Entry
Mid
Senior
This job
$30k Market range (10th-90th percentile) $60k

This is a strong offer—weigh total comp and growth potential.

Hot hiring, constrained wages

Employers are hiring actively, but pay hasn't caught up with demand. Focus on competing offers and non-salary benefits.

Hiring leverage
Lean candidate
Wage leverage âš  Disconnect
Constrained
Mobility
Good mobility
Durability
High fragility

Why this market feels harder than it looks

This market is hiring aggressively, but compensation hasn't caught up and most openings are backfilling churn, not expansion. Employers are filling roles, but not bidding wages up.

Who this leverage applies to

Stronger for: Senior candidates with options
Weaker for: Entry-level candidates, Career switchers

Where to negotiate

Base salary
Sign-on bonus
Title / level
Remote flexibility
Scope & responsibility
Start date / PTO

Likely Possible Unlikely

Watch out for

Wage disconnect: Hiring is active but pay hasn't responded—negotiate on other terms.

Don't let hiring headlines mislead you—focus on concrete offers. Your leverage may be less durable than it appears—move decisively.

Does this path compound?

Job Growth →
High churn
Growth, flat pay
🚀 Compound
Growth + pay upside
⚠️ Plateau
Limited growth
Specialize
Experts earn more
Pay Upside →
Stable but flat

Steady work, but limited growth in both jobs and pay.

+1%
10yr growth
Most openings come from retirements and turnover, not new positions.
Typical: High school diploma or equivalent

Openings come from turnover, not new growth. Differentiate to advance.

Labor data: BLS 2024