Dry end operator vs mill operator

The differences between dry end 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 dry end operator and a mill operator. Additionally, a mill operator has an average salary of $39,045, which is higher than the $37,169 average annual salary of a dry end operator.

The top three skills for a dry end operator include safety rules, calipers and pallets. The most important skills for a mill operator are CNC, OSHA, and math.

Dry end operator vs mill operator overview

	Dry End Operator	Mill Operator
Yearly salary	$37,169	$39,045
Hourly rate	$17.87	$18.77
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	71,786	64,574
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Dry end operator vs mill operator salary

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

	Dry End Operator	Mill Operator
Average salary	$37,169	$39,045
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $45,000	Between $31,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	-	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Freeport-McMoRan
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between dry end operator and mill operator education

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

	Dry End Operator	Mill Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Dry end operator vs mill operator demographics

Here are the differences between dry end operators' and mill operators' demographics:

	Dry End Operator	Mill Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 78.5% Female, 21.5%	Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 15.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 2.7% White, 60.2% 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 dry end operator and mill operator duties and responsibilities

Dry end operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Set up and operate an extrusion machine in accordance with establish procedures and guidelines and customer requirements.
Use CMM, optical comparator, calipers, height gages, etc to check plastic components.

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.

Dry end operator vs mill operator skills

Common dry end operator skills

Safety Rules, 19%
Calipers, 15%
Pallets, 11%
Basic Math, 10%
Quality Checks, 5%
Product Quality, 4%

Common mill operator skills

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

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Dry End Operator
Dry End Operator vs Mill Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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