Fabrication manager vs lead operator

The differences between fabrication managers and lead operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a fabrication manager and a lead operator. Additionally, a lead operator has an average salary of $88,429, which is higher than the $79,819 average annual salary of a fabrication manager.

The top three skills for a fabrication manager include continuous improvement, safety procedures and lean manufacturing. The most important skills for a lead operator are customer service, HR, and process improvement.

Fabrication manager vs lead operator overview

	Fabrication Manager	Lead Operator
Yearly salary	$79,819	$88,429
Hourly rate	$38.37	$42.51
Growth rate	-1%	7%
Number of jobs	6,379	87,338
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

Fabrication manager vs lead operator salary

Fabrication managers and lead operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fabrication Manager	Lead Operator
Average salary	$79,819	$88,429
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $117,000	Between $54,000 And $142,000
Highest paying City	Andover, MA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New Jersey
Best paying company	Calvin Klein	Meta
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between fabrication manager and lead operator education

There are a few differences between a fabrication manager and a lead operator in terms of educational background:

	Fabrication Manager	Lead Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Fabrication manager vs lead operator demographics

Here are the differences between fabrication managers' and lead operators' demographics:

	Fabrication Manager	Lead Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 86.9% Female, 13.1%	Male, 73.5% Female, 26.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 5.3% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 4.6% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between fabrication manager and lead operator duties and responsibilities

Fabrication manager example responsibilities.

Manage all shipping & receiving logistics before creating position of shipping supervisor.
Experience with OSHA safety as well as employee safety.
Operate facility in compliance with OSHA and Sapa standards.
Operate a press, shears, rollers, plasma cutter, and mig and tig welders.
Design and build props for theatrical sets from wood, steel, aluminum, and other materials for special events.
Plan and design require parts of sheet metal for the marine industry with duct planning and HVAC installation with wiring.

Lead operator example responsibilities.

Plan, organize, and lead Kaizen activities as well as managed the cost reduction activities from idea to implementation.
Contact potential REO listing brokers achieving the highest return call rate.
Create UAT scripts and utilize statistical process controls to manage loan process quality and ensure consistency.
Achieve goals in various metrics, from sales to plan, payroll, additional services, print center.
Manage and organize incoming records and publications for use on SharePoint.
Need method to proactively manage the business improving cross-functional collaboration & KPI visibility.

Fabrication manager vs lead operator skills

Common fabrication manager skills

Continuous Improvement, 9%
Safety Procedures, 8%
Lean Manufacturing, 7%
Quality Standards, 6%
CNC, 6%
Production Schedules, 5%

Common lead operator skills

Customer Service, 18%
HR, 10%
Process Improvement, 6%
Project Management, 6%
Continuous Improvement, 6%
Safety Procedures, 4%