Extrusion operators are responsible for adjusting, calibrating, and testing equipment at the beginning of every shift to ensure proper pressure, speed, temperature, and general operation. They set up and operate an extrusion machine in accordance with established procedures, guidelines, and customer requirements. They also monitor and accurately record production quality checks as required while collecting process samples and performing in-process lab analysis.

Extrusion operators earn a median sum of $32,000 annually or $15 per hour. Their duties include constantly monitoring extrusion lines and performing corrective action. They maintain and troubleshoot equipment, perform testing per specification requirements, and prepare, record, close out, review, and maintain device history records.

Extrusion operators typically hold a high school diploma or its equivalent. They report to a supervisor/manager and possess a moderate understanding of general aspects of the job. They are expected to have some years of general work experience with the knowledge of current OSHA safety rules and regulations.

What Does an Extrusion Operator Do

There are certain skills that many extrusion operators have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed computer skills, dexterity and mechanical skills.

Learn more about what an Extrusion Operator does

How To Become an Extrusion Operator

If you're interested in becoming an extrusion operator, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 12.1% of extrusion operators have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 0.4% of extrusion operators have master's degrees. Even though some extrusion operators have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become an Extrusion Operator

Extrusion Operator Career Paths

Average Salary for an Extrusion Operator

Extrusion Operators in America make an average salary of $36,571 per year or $18 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $45,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $29,000 per year.
Average Extrusion Operator Salary
$36,571 Yearly
$17.58 hourly

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Roles and Types of Extrusion Operator

The role of an extrusion operator includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general extrusion operator responsibilities:

  • Performs any combination or all of the following duties: threads yarn position. Doffs to keep yarns ends
  • Follow all standard operating procedure (iso documentation) to insure all production meets proper specifications. Set-up, troubleshoot
  • 1. Operate extruders to produce profiles that meet established 3 tier quality standards. Monitor profile while running

There are several types of extrusion operator, including:

Machine Operator

Role:

Someone has to operate the machine - why not you? Machine operators are able to transfer a variety of objects through the use of machinery. So if driving a forklift around sounds like your idea of fun, then maybe this is the job for you.

Some machine operators need training in order to operate certain machinery such as cranes and excavators. The hours you work as a machine operator can vary, but often include overtime, night shifts, and weekend shifts.

As a machine operator, you have lots of industries you could go into, from warehousing and storage to food manufacturing and construction. The list goes on and on. Depending on the industry, your work can take you outside or you may get to work inside.
  • Average Salary: $32,874
  • Degree: High School Diploma

Operator

Role:

As an operator, it's your job to know how specific equipment or machines work. You should know how to install and repair certain machinery as well as knowing how to use tools to help with the manufacturing process.

Operators often spend their time checking in on equipment and making sure it's properly working. Every problem that is detected, you'll often call upon an operators to come and save the day. They're essentially the superhero in an office setting.

In most cases, operators work full-time, normal hours. But when a client needs help, you'll need to be available. which means that sometimes duty calls at night or on the weekends.
  • Average Salary: $37,928
  • Degree: High School Diploma

Production Operator

Role:

Have you ever wondered what is the official job role for those people in charge of work, like assembling parts in a factory? Well, I certainly have. I never used to think too much and assumed those people magically appeared as part of the factory. But they are actually called production operators and you can apply for this role, too, with little experience. This role is fun and exposes you to the way different things connect together, but it requires physical stamina and high concentration levels.

Daily, a production operator is involved in activities such as undertaking product assembly, performing product packaging, maintaining the production line machinery, and achieving production line targets. Besides that, they also need to clean the production floor and comply with health and safety guidelines.

Employers require production operators to have a minimum of a high school diploma and have the stamina to stand on their feet during work operations. This role earns, on average, $14 per hour and suits individuals passionate about understanding assembly lines.

  • Average Salary: $35,185
  • Degree: High School Diploma

States With The Most Extrusion Operator Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active extrusion operator jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where extrusion operators earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Extrusion Operator Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1Massachusetts1,193$36,304
2Maryland878$44,347
3Ohio771$36,618
4New Jersey763$40,115
5California687$37,605
6Wisconsin607$40,058
7Illinois605$40,767
8Indiana587$35,790
9Pennsylvania561$39,163
10Georgia543$32,092
11Minnesota512$42,812
12Texas483$33,992
13North Carolina459$34,698
14Florida397$34,889
15Michigan361$37,749
16New York321$37,667
17Tennessee309$33,108
18Iowa260$39,522
19Missouri220$35,518
20Kentucky213$37,796
21Virginia186$38,487
22South Carolina171$40,127
23Utah164$36,570
24New Hampshire161$38,091
25Arizona154$39,229
26Connecticut146$46,118
27Oregon140$37,287
28Rhode Island139$38,219
29Alabama136$35,176
30Washington125$42,499
31Kansas115$38,719
32Colorado112$36,917
33Nebraska99$36,098
34Alaska95$39,696
35Hawaii92$43,070
36Arkansas77$34,879
37Mississippi73$33,376
38Louisiana55$39,746
39Nevada55$38,144
40Maine54$38,091
41Oklahoma48$37,567
42Idaho44$37,248
43South Dakota34$44,068
44Vermont26$38,601
45Delaware26$38,091
46West Virginia24$38,751
47North Dakota17$37,242
48Montana14$44,328
49New Mexico13$36,190
50Wyoming3$41,926

Extrusion Operator Education

Extrusion Operator Majors

20.4 %

Extrusion Operator Degrees

High School Diploma

52.8 %

Associate

16.7 %

Bachelors

12.1 %

Top Skills For an Extrusion Operator

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 21.4% of extrusion operators listed extrusion on their resume, but soft skills such as computer skills and dexterity are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Extrusion Operator Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Extrusion Operator templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Extrusion Operator resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Extrusion Operator Demographics

Extrusion Operator Gender Distribution

Male
Male
89%
Female
Female
11%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among extrusion operators, 11.4% of them are women, while 88.6% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among extrusion operators is White, which makes up 72.3% of all extrusion operators.

  • The most common foreign language among extrusion operators is Spanish at 76.9%.

Online Courses For Extrusion Operator That You May Like

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This course introduces participants to MLOps tools and best practices for deploying, evaluating, monitoring and operating production ML systems on Google Cloud. MLOps is a discipline focused on the deployment, testing, monitoring, and automation of ML systems in production. Machine Learning Engineering professionals use tools for continuous improvement and evaluation of deployed models. They work with (or can be) Data Scientists, who develop models, to enable velocity and rigor in deploying the...

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Azure Machine Learning is a cloud platform for training, deploying, managing, and monitoring machine learning models. In this course, you will learn how to use the Azure Machine Learning Python SDK to create and manage enterprise-ready ML solutions. This is the third course in a five-course program that prepares you to take the DP-100: Designing and Implementing a Data Science Solution on Azurecertification exam. The certification exam is an opportunity to prove knowledge and expertise operate...

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Machine learning runs the world. It generates predictions for each individual customer, employee, voter, and suspect, and these predictions drive millions of business decisions more effectively, determining whom to call, mail, approve, test, diagnose, warn, investigate, incarcerate, set up on a date, or medicate. But, to make this work, you've got to bridge what is a prevalent gap between business leadership and technical know-how. Launching machine learning is as much a management endeavor as...

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Best States For an Extrusion Operator

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as an extrusion operator. The best states for people in this position are Connecticut, Maryland, Montana, and South Dakota. Extrusion operators make the most in Connecticut with an average salary of $46,118. Whereas in Maryland and Montana, they would average $44,347 and $44,328, respectively. While extrusion operators would only make an average of $44,068 in South Dakota, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. Minnesota

Total Extrusion Operator Jobs: 512
Highest 10% Earn:
$51,000
Location Quotient:
1.64

2. Connecticut

Total Extrusion Operator Jobs: 146
Highest 10% Earn:
$54,000
Location Quotient:
0.94

3. Maryland

Total Extrusion Operator Jobs: 878
Highest 10% Earn:
$54,000
Location Quotient:
2.94
Full List Of Best States For Extrusion Operators

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Top Extrusion Operator Employers

Most Common Employers For Extrusion Operator

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Pactiv$40,433$19.4478
2Shaw Industries$40,412$19.4374
3Cooper Standard$39,330$18.9116
4Dart Container$39,276$18.8818
5Mohawk Industries$38,946$18.7247
6VEKA Inc - North America$38,690$18.6016
7Genpak$38,553$18.5418
8Engineered Floors$37,251$17.9126
9Sealed Air$37,236$17.9041
10Diamond Plastics$37,130$17.8522

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