How To Become An Extrusion Machine Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is an extrusion machine operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an extrusion machine operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $17.21 an hour? That's $35,804 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -5% and produce -45,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreExtrusion Machine OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.8

Avg. Salary $35,804

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.2

Growth rate -5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.77%

Asian 2.31%

Black or African American 9.74%

Hispanic or Latino 12.05%

Unknown 2.82%

White 72.31%

Gender

female 11.65%

male 88.35%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

8.2

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.7

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an extrusion machine operator

Explore extrusion machine operator education requirements

Most common extrusion machine operator degrees

High School Diploma

52.5 %

Diploma

19.5 %

Associate

12.5 %

Start to develop specific extrusion machine operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Extrusion	22.17%
Extrusion Machine	15.83%
Quality Standards	6.53%
Math	6.19%
Calipers	5.74%

Complete relevant extrusion machine operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New extrusion machine operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an extrusion machine operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real extrusion machine operator resumes.

Research extrusion machine operator duties and responsibilities

Manage the levels of chemicals to make sure process run correctly for making Styrofoam.
Experience in operating an extrusion machine in accordance with establish procedures, guidelines and customer requirements.
Know basic math (add and subtract).
Maintain and set up CNC equipment.

Prepare your extrusion machine operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your extrusion machine operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an extrusion machine operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable extrusion machine operator resume templates

Build a professional extrusion machine operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your extrusion machine operator resume.