Cutter operator vs mill operator

The differences between cutter operators and mill operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a cutter operator and a mill operator. Additionally, a mill operator has an average salary of $39,045, which is higher than the $33,960 average annual salary of a cutter operator.

The top three skills for a cutter operator include quality checks, pallets and math. The most important skills for a mill operator are CNC, OSHA, and math.

Cutter operator vs mill operator overview

	Cutter Operator	Mill Operator
Yearly salary	$33,960	$39,045
Hourly rate	$16.33	$18.77
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	65,046	64,574
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 58%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Cutter operator vs mill operator salary

Cutter operators and mill operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cutter Operator	Mill Operator
Average salary	$33,960	$39,045
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $31,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	Grand Forks, ND	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Schreiber Foods	Freeport-McMoRan
Best paying industry	Automotive	Construction

Differences between cutter operator and mill operator education

There are a few differences between a cutter operator and a mill operator in terms of educational background:

	Cutter Operator	Mill Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 58%	High School Diploma, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Cutter operator vs mill operator demographics

Here are the differences between cutter operators' and mill operators' demographics:

	Cutter Operator	Mill Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 81.2% Female, 18.8%	Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 15.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 2.9% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 14.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 2.4% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between cutter operator and mill operator duties and responsibilities

Cutter operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Assist with other bindery operations in the department which include cutting, padding, collating, drilling and hole punching.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Inspect product for defects house keeping, AIB, preventive maintenance.

Mill operator example responsibilities.

Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Perform all work in respirator and other proper PPE.
Skil at training other machinists on CNC machines in this shop.
Assemble parts, operate CNC lathe and mills and adjust off sets.
Perform QC testing on products, filing paperwork per company and ISO standards.
Rebuild Rotex sifters, fabricate and replace screens, replace shoes and anvils in impact mills.

Cutter operator vs mill operator skills

Common cutter operator skills

Quality Checks, 12%
Pallets, 11%
Math, 10%
Troubleshoot, 7%
Quality Standards, 7%
Pallet Jack, 7%

Common mill operator skills

CNC, 7%
OSHA, 7%
Math, 6%
Calipers, 6%
Hand Tools, 5%
Safety Rules, 5%

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Cutter Operator
Cutter Operator vs Mill Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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