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What is an assembly worker and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
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Assembly workers put together different parts of a product, either assembling the final product or just one particular component of it. They work in factories or manufacturing sites, and as you may have guessed, they work in the assembly line.

As an assembly worker, you need to have good dexterity and eye to hand coordination. Basic math skills will be necessary, and you might have to read a blueprint once in a while, too. You will prepare parts for assembly and position them, measure assembled components, and assemble parts according to specifications. Maintaining equipment and logging production activities are also part of the job.

The assembly line is an ancient invention, at least as far as the timeline of capitalism and consumer society is concerned, and with the massive reduction it allows in production time and costs, it never seems to get old. Today, as an assembly worker, you can work in rotating shifts and you will make around $13.25 per hour.

ScoreAssembly WorkerUS Average
Salary
2.4

Avg. Salary $30,331

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
3.8

Growth rate -5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
9.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.89%

Asian 8.41%

Black or African American 12.57%

Hispanic or Latino 13.54%

Unknown 4.40%

White 60.19%

Gender

female 46.35%

male 53.65%

Age - 45
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45
Stress level
3.8

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level
4.1

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Assembly worker career paths

Key steps to become an assembly worker

  1. Explore assembly worker education requirements

    Most common assembly worker degrees

    High School Diploma

    51.6 %

    Associate

    15.4 %

    Diploma

    13.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific assembly worker skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Assembly Line39.88%
    Safety Procedures11.51%
    Quality Standards5.29%
    Quality Checks4.93%
    Pallet Jack3.72%
  3. Complete relevant assembly worker training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New assembly workers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an assembly worker based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real assembly worker resumes.
  4. Research assembly worker duties and responsibilities

    • Follow company guidelines and motivate to accomplish goals and help to troubleshoot to get projects done.
    • Inventory and manage all stock products within a retail warehousing environment utilizing RF scanner and barcode readers to document material.
    • Perform basic math to compute ratio, rate and percent.
    • Work with a team on line assembling HVAC parts for Honda and Toyota
  5. Prepare your assembly worker resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your assembly worker resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an assembly worker resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable assembly worker resume templates

    Build a professional assembly worker resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your assembly worker resume.
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    Assembly Worker Resume
    Assembly Worker Resume
    Assembly Worker Resume
  6. Apply for assembly worker jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an assembly worker job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first assembly worker job

Zippi

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Average assembly worker salary

The average assembly worker salary in the United States is $30,331 per year or $15 per hour. Assembly worker salaries range between $24,000 and $37,000 per year.

Average assembly worker salary
$30,331 Yearly
$14.58 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do assembly workers rate their job?

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Assembly worker reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2022
Pros

Was always Busy. And was able to see the product tested

Cons

When I run out of work! Because of shortage of parts


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022
Pros

Production

Cons

Factory job I pretty much like any work ,always working on Factory


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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