Acid etch operator vs metal engraver

The differences between acid etch operators and metal engravers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an acid etch operator and a metal engraver. Additionally, an acid etch operator has an average salary of $44,344, which is higher than the $41,538 average annual salary of a metal engraver.

The top three skills for an acid etch operator include etching, acid etch and circuit boards. The most important skills for a metal engraver are calipers, stainless steel, and .

Acid etch operator vs metal engraver overview

	Acid Etch Operator	Metal Engraver
Yearly salary	$44,344	$41,538
Hourly rate	$21.32	$19.97
Growth rate	-	-6%
Number of jobs	25,781	2,573
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 80%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

Acid etch operator vs metal engraver salary

Acid etch operators and metal engravers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Acid Etch Operator	Metal Engraver
Average salary	$44,344	$41,538
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $82,000	Between $22,000 And $75,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between acid etch operator and metal engraver education

There are a few differences between an acid etch operator and a metal engraver in terms of educational background:

	Acid Etch Operator	Metal Engraver
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 80%
Most common major	General Studies	Civil Engineering
Most common college	-	-

Acid etch operator vs metal engraver demographics

Here are the differences between acid etch operators' and metal engravers' demographics:

	Acid Etch Operator	Metal Engraver
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2%	Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 6.8% Asian, 6.9% White, 77.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 6.4% Asian, 4.5% White, 81.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	20%	20%

Differences between acid etch operator and metal engraver duties and responsibilities

Acid etch operator example responsibilities.

Operate etching vats, distribute materials to individual machines, and balance waste water by checking and maintaining water pH levels.
Tend etch machinery and equipment that remove metal and photo resist and etch electronic circuitry into metalized surface.
Tend etch machinery and equipment that remove metal and photo resist and etch electronic circuitry into metalized surface.

Metal engraver example responsibilities.

Self-Train in advance engraving software, detect software bugs and develop user strategies to enhance usability of the application.
Prepare etching chemicals according to formulas, diluting acid with water to obtain solutions of specify concentration.

Acid etch operator vs metal engraver skills

Common acid etch operator skills

Etching, 66%
Acid Etch, 20%
Circuit Boards, 14%

Common metal engraver skills

Calipers, 56%
Stainless Steel, 44%

Acid Etch Operator vs. similar jobs

Acid Etch Operator related careers

Acid Etch Operator related jobs

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Operator responsibilities

Updated January 8, 2025

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