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The differences between extruder operators and mill operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a mill operator has an average salary of $39,045, which is higher than the $36,707 average annual salary of an extruder operator.
The top three skills for an extruder operator include extrusion, quality checks and hand tools. The most important skills for a mill operator are CNC, OSHA, and math.
| Extruder Operator | Mill Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $36,707 | $39,045 |
| Hourly rate | $17.65 | $18.77 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 66,729 | 64,574 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 52% | High School Diploma, 49% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
An extruder operator's work is essential to industries such as automobile parts manufacturing and aerospace machine manufacturing. They control the machines that make and shape thermoplastic materials. They may also be responsible for training new staff to work on these machines. They also do maintenance on their tools, ensure products meet specifications, and create reports for their supervisors.
Mill operators are skilled employees who are responsible for operating and maintaining milling machines that grind materials such as rocks or chemicals at a milling facility. These operators must gather raw materials for production and assist with the inventory of all materials. They must operate a wide variety of equipment such as power saws, sanders, drill press, and basic hand tools while performing regular maintenance and troubleshooting on the milling machines. Mill operators must also attend safety meetings that are held weekly and monthly to ensure machine operators are following safety procedures.
Extruder operators and mill operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Extruder Operator | Mill Operator | |
| Average salary | $36,707 | $39,045 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $45,000 | Between $31,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Woburn, MA | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Baker Hughes | Freeport-McMoRan |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Construction |
There are a few differences between an extruder operator and a mill operator in terms of educational background:
| Extruder Operator | Mill Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 52% | High School Diploma, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between extruder operators' and mill operators' demographics:
| Extruder Operator | Mill Operator | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.6% Female, 10.4% | Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 2.3% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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 | 3% | 4% |