Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between factory workers and shop workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a shop worker has an average salary of $31,850, which is higher than the $29,343 average annual salary of a factory worker.
The top three skills for a factory worker include line assembly, production process and safety regulations. The most important skills for a shop worker are tape measure, safety procedures, and in-shop.
| Factory Worker | Shop Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $29,343 | $31,850 |
| Hourly rate | $14.11 | $15.31 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 106,768 | 73,161 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 51% | High School Diploma, 37% |
| Average age | 38 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A factory worker is responsible for manufacturing products using appropriate machinery and equipment. Factory workers' duties include processing the products based on the required quantity and specifications, labeling and safely packaging the merchandise, ensuring that the items are free of any defects before distribution, monitoring the supply inventories, reporting defected machines and equipment, and maintaining the cleanliness of the production area. A factory worker must have excellent time-management skills to produce high-quality products within a specific time frame.
A shop worker may work in a wholesale or retail shop to provide customer service. They welcome guests, maintain their store's cleanliness, and ensure stock levels are maintained. They may also be responsible for ringing customers up.
Factory workers and shop workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Factory Worker | Shop Worker | |
| Average salary | $29,343 | $31,850 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $38,000 | Between $24,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Everett, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | UPS | Shipt |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a factory worker and a shop worker in terms of educational background:
| Factory Worker | Shop Worker | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 51% | High School Diploma, 37% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between factory workers' and shop workers' demographics:
| Factory Worker | Shop Worker | |
| Average age | 38 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% | Male, 76.5% Female, 23.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 5.5% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 6.9% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 5% |