Extruder operator vs operator

The differences between extruder operators and operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an operator has an average salary of $37,928, 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 an operator are safety procedures, CDL, and emergency calls.

Extruder operator vs operator overview

	Extruder Operator	Operator
Yearly salary	$36,707	$37,928
Hourly rate	$17.65	$18.23
Growth rate	-5%	7%
Number of jobs	66,729	159,077
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 52%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	4

What does an extruder operator do?

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.

What does an operator do?

Operators are skilled workers who are in charge of working on an industrial machine or a specific aspect of the manufacturing business. They are trained to operate machines, learning how to use them. They are also responsible for the maintenance and repair of the machine, and they should be able to troubleshoot problems and provide remedies to them. They must be knowledgeable about the different parts of the machine and how to mitigate any challenges that may arise. Operators should be alert, detail-oriented, and familiar with safety and health guidelines.

Extruder operator vs operator salary

Extruder operators and operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Extruder Operator	Operator
Average salary	$36,707	$37,928
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $45,000	Between $27,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Woburn, MA	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	North Dakota
Best paying company	Baker Hughes	Microsoft
Best paying industry	Automotive	Technology

Differences between extruder operator and operator education

There are a few differences between an extruder operator and an operator in terms of educational background:

	Extruder Operator	Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 52%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Extruder operator vs operator demographics

Here are the differences between extruder operators' and operators' demographics:

	Extruder Operator	Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 89.6% Female, 10.4%	Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0%
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, 16.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	3%	4%

Differences between extruder operator and operator duties and responsibilities

Extruder operator example responsibilities.

Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Preform preventative maintenance, troubleshooting, and adjustment/modification of extrusion processes as necessary to maintain production standards.
Doff lines, check and QA materials.
Train other operators on SPC and process improvements.
Operate extruder, vast knowledge in ISO, quality inspection.
Inspect cable in process for resistivity and wall thickness, document on SPC charts.

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Operator example responsibilities.

Assist in developing the company s short and long term training plans and managing yearly ammunition allocation.
Assist and manage the extrusion process of polyester raw material in pellet or chip form to produce finish rolls of plastic.
Manage day-to-day transportation and logistics services for multinational account base.
Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Job require basic math skills: fractions and decimals.
Ensure safety of all equipment during production in compliance with strict OSHA and safety regulations.

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Extruder operator vs operator skills

Common extruder operator skills

Extrusion, 13%
Quality Checks, 7%
Hand Tools, 7%
Extruders, 6%
Math, 5%
Safety Standards, 5%

Common operator skills

Safety Procedures, 15%
CDL, 6%
Emergency Calls, 6%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%
Quality Checks, 4%
Dozer, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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