Brake operator vs laser operator

The differences between brake operators and laser 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 brake operator and a laser operator. Additionally, a brake operator has an average salary of $38,911, which is higher than the $34,813 average annual salary of a laser operator.

The top three skills for a brake operator include calipers, basic math and tape measure. The most important skills for a laser operator are laser cutting, calipers, and laser machine.

Brake operator vs laser operator overview

	Brake Operator	Laser Operator
Yearly salary	$38,911	$34,813
Hourly rate	$18.71	$16.74
Growth rate	-5%	-8%
Number of jobs	46,164	56,479
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	46	43
Years of experience	2	2

Brake operator vs laser operator salary

Brake operators and laser operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Brake Operator	Laser Operator
Average salary	$38,911	$34,813
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $49,000	Between $27,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	-	Oregon City, OR
Highest paying state	-	Oregon
Best paying company	-	Kloeckner Metals
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between brake operator and laser operator education

There are a few differences between a brake operator and a laser operator in terms of educational background:

	Brake Operator	Laser Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Brake operator vs laser operator demographics

Here are the differences between brake operators' and laser operators' demographics:

	Brake Operator	Laser Operator
Average age	46	43
Gender ratio	Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2%	Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9%
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, 4.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.0% White, 68.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	3%	6%

Differences between brake operator and laser operator duties and responsibilities

Brake operator example responsibilities.

Experience using micrometers, squares, calipers and protractors.
Perform light mig and tig welding and metal refinishing.
Align motor, air end and coupling using calipers, dial indicators and straight edges.
Operate brake press to meet OE specifications.
Perform basic troubleshooting of extrusion machinery and plastics processes.
Measure part angle with protractor, flange length with measureing tape and material thickness with micrometer.

Laser operator example responsibilities.

Calculate requirements, using basic math, geometry.
Follow and comply to GMP, FDA, and ISO regulations
Uphold all ISO and OSHA standards applicable to the responsibilities list above.
Complete SPC charts to track tool capability and hold tight tolerances on small parts.
Used micrometers and protractors to check dimension and angle of part during all job set ups and quality control checks.
Perform quality control inspection using calipers/gauges/micrometers and digital comparators.

Brake operator vs laser operator skills

Common brake operator skills

Calipers, 15%
Basic Math, 14%
Tape Measure, 12%
Hand Tools, 10%
Pallets, 6%
Read Blueprints, 6%

Common laser operator skills

Laser Cutting, 13%
Calipers, 8%
Laser Machine, 7%
Math, 6%
Hand Tools, 5%
CNC Laser, 4%