How To Become An Assistant Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is an assistant operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

The job of an assistant operator varies based on one's place of employment or the type of machine operated by them. Usually, your duties may focus on working with operators and several other workers and organizing or handling documents. For this, you must be able to comprehend blueprints and regard and obey the executive operators and manager. Additionally, to work as an assistant operator, you must carry out support duties like organizing equipment. You will have to perform consistent maintenance checks as well. This is done to ensure the smooth running of the machine and sustain a harmless operating environment. You are to help operators and every other sector in the organization in their job.

To be suited for this job, you must have excellent writing, organization, and interpersonal skills. Also, you should exhibit outstanding team working skills as you may often operate as a team. In addition, a bachelor's or a high school diploma is essential for this job. As an assistant operator, you will earn an average of $39,579 per annum or $19.04 an hour.

ScoreAssistant OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $37,607

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.0

Growth rate -8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.73%

Asian 3.82%

Black or African American 9.20%

Hispanic or Latino 16.10%

Unknown 3.87%

White 66.29%

Gender

female 23.17%

male 76.83%

Age - 52

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 - 52

Stress level

6.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.4

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.6

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an assistant operator

Explore assistant operator education requirements

Most common assistant operator degrees

Bachelor's

38.2 %

High School Diploma

28.1 %

Associate

19.5 %

Start to develop specific assistant operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	27.71%
Ladders	10.95%
Safety Procedures	9.20%
Safety Committee	5.88%
Quality Checks	5.70%

Complete relevant assistant operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New assistant operators 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 assistant operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real assistant operator resumes.

Gain additional assistant operator certifications

Assistant operator certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific assistant operator certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for assistant operators include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and OSHA Safety Certificate .

More About Certifications

Research assistant operator duties and responsibilities

Manage proper removal and allocation for full yarn spindles.
Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Maintain current MSHA training requirements.
Coordinate special movement of ISO tanks.

Prepare your assistant operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your assistant operator 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 assistant operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable assistant operator resume templates

Build a professional assistant operator 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 assistant operator resume.