Bench shear operator vs press brake operator

The differences between bench shear operators and press brake operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a bench shear operator and a press brake operator. Additionally, a press brake operator has an average salary of $36,359, which is higher than the $34,228 average annual salary of a bench shear operator.

The top three skills for a bench shear operator include hand tools, product specifications and micrometers. The most important skills for a press brake operator are calipers, tape measure, and math.

Bench shear operator vs press brake operator overview

	Bench Shear Operator	Press Brake Operator
Yearly salary	$34,228	$36,359
Hourly rate	$16.46	$17.48
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	27,264	57,264
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 51%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

Bench shear operator vs press brake operator salary

Bench shear operators and press brake operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Bench Shear Operator	Press Brake Operator
Average salary	$34,228	$36,359
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $42,000	Between $29,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	-	Hartford, CT
Highest paying state	-	Rhode Island
Best paying company	-	Johnson Controls
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between bench shear operator and press brake operator education

There are a few differences between a bench shear operator and a press brake operator in terms of educational background:

	Bench Shear Operator	Press Brake Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 51%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Bench shear operator vs press brake operator demographics

Here are the differences between bench shear operators' and press brake operators' demographics:

	Bench Shear Operator	Press Brake Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 80.6% Female, 19.4%	Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 1.7% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 1.7% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between bench shear operator and press brake operator duties and responsibilities

Bench shear operator example responsibilities.

Use of precision measuring instruments calibration and use of micrometer, dial calipers, test indicators and various gauges.
Inspect or measure finished workpieces to determine conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as gauges or micrometers.
Finish parts, using hacksaws or hand, rotary, or squaring shears.

Press brake operator example responsibilities.

Set up machines and troubleshoot.
Set up and run a turret punch
Maintain and ensure proper use of PPE.
Promote from tool operator to dye shop.
Hold tight tolerances and always use your PPE.
Used math skills to produce parts to a specific dimension.

Bench shear operator vs press brake operator skills

Common bench shear operator skills

Hand Tools, 67%
Product Specifications, 27%
Micrometers, 3%
Calipers, 2%
Customer Specifications, 0%

Common press brake operator skills

Calipers, 12%
Tape Measure, 9%
Math, 8%
Hand Tools, 7%
Amada, 5%
Safety Procedures, 4%

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Bench Shear Operator
Bench Shear Operator vs Press Brake Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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