Extruder operator vs pack machine operator

The differences between extruder operators and pack machine operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an extruder operator has an average salary of $36,707, which is higher than the $35,157 average annual salary of a pack machine operator.

The top three skills for an extruder operator include extrusion, quality checks and hand tools. The most important skills for a pack machine operator are basic math, defective products, and team-oriented environment.

Extruder operator vs pack machine operator overview

	Extruder Operator	Pack Machine Operator
Yearly salary	$36,707	$35,157
Hourly rate	$17.65	$16.90
Growth rate	-5%	7%
Number of jobs	66,729	68,876
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 52%	High School Diploma, 54%
Average age	43	44
Years of experience	-	-

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 a pack machine operator do?

A pack machine operator is an employee who is responsible for operating and maintaining packaging machines to prepare industrial and consumer products for storage or shipment. Pack machine operators observe machine operations to ensure quality and conformity of filled or packaged products are up to standards. They monitor the production line to avoid problems such as pile-ups or jams while removing defective products and packaging material. Pack machine operators must also conduct maintenance of the packaging machines on a weekly to monthly basis.

Extruder operator vs pack machine operator salary

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

	Extruder Operator	Pack Machine Operator
Average salary	$36,707	$35,157
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $45,000	Between $28,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Woburn, MA	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	North Dakota
Best paying company	Baker Hughes	Reser's Fine Foods
Best paying industry	Automotive	Manufacturing

Differences between extruder operator and pack machine operator education

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

	Extruder Operator	Pack Machine Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 52%	High School Diploma, 54%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Extruder operator vs pack machine operator demographics

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

	Extruder Operator	Pack Machine Operator
Average age	43	44
Gender ratio	Male, 89.6% Female, 10.4%	Male, 53.6% Female, 46.4%
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, 12.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 7.4% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	3%	5%

Differences between extruder operator and pack machine 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.

Pack machine operator example responsibilities.

Insure that products pass inspection according to FDA contracts.
Perform CIP procedures on machinery when changing yogurt brands.
Maintain and operate machine and equipment quality control FDA approval identify good or bad parts
Observe quality of finish parts to prevent oversight by packer/inspector & prevent QA direction to rework/reinspect.
Perform QA checks, rework when need, cleaning, and transporting cages to the cooler.
Review other inspectors GMP forms; verify calibration and functionality of GMP instrumentation perform in-process tests and product audits.

Extruder operator vs pack machine operator skills

Common extruder operator skills

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

Common pack machine operator skills

Basic Math, 12%
Defective Products, 8%
Team-Oriented Environment, 7%
Quality Checks, 7%
Safety Procedures, 6%
Math, 6%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Extruder Operator
Extruder Operator vs Pack Machine Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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