Assembly operators put products and product components together using their hands, machinery, and various tools. Assembly operators make anything that is produced via assembly line, from children's toys to aircraft engines.
The duties that they perform in this capacity include reading instructions, blueprints, and drawings of the products that the company is making; boxing items once they are finished; monitoring machinery; inspecting finished products; loading and unloading inventory; and adhering to safety protocols. Essentials skills required to successfully execute these responsibilities include reading comprehension, mathematics, computer skills, attention to detail, and physical stamina. A high school diploma or a GED will suffice for the position. Most employers prefer individuals with some prior experience in a similar position, but will provide on-the-job training if need be.
The average hourly pay for this position is $12.99, which amounts to $27,026 annually.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an assembly operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $13.14 an hour? That's $27,325 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -11% and produce -203,300 job opportunities across the U.S.
There are certain skills that many assembly operators have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed color vision, dexterity and math skills.
When it comes to the most important skills required to be an assembly operator, we found that a lot of resumes listed 11.7% of assembly operators included quality standards, while 10.4% of resumes included hand tools, and 9.9% of resumes included assembly instructions. Hard skills like these are helpful to have when it comes to performing essential job responsibilities.
When it comes to searching for a job, many search for a key term or phrase. Instead, it might be more helpful to search by industry, as you might be missing jobs that you never thought about in industries that you didn't even think offered positions related to the assembly operator job title. But what industry to start with? Most assembly operators actually find jobs in the manufacturing and automotive industries.
If you're interested in becoming an assembly operator, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 14.3% of assembly operators have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 1.5% of assembly operators have master's degrees. Even though some assembly operators have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become an assembly operator. When we researched the most common majors for an assembly operator, we found that they most commonly earn high school diploma degrees or associate degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on assembly operator resumes include bachelor's degree degrees or diploma degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become an assembly operator. In fact, many assembly operator jobs require experience in a role such as cashier. Meanwhile, many assembly operators also have previous career experience in roles such as machine operator or customer service representative.