Finishing area operator vs production worker

The differences between finishing area operators and production workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a finishing area operator has an average salary of $33,012, which is higher than the $30,847 average annual salary of a production worker.

The top three skills for a finishing area operator include safety procedures, operational procedures and rail cars. The most important skills for a production worker are production process, safety procedures, and assembly line.

Finishing area operator vs production worker overview

	Finishing Area Operator	Production Worker
Yearly salary	$33,012	$30,847
Hourly rate	$15.87	$14.83
Growth rate	7%	-
Number of jobs	41,820	136,584
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 52%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	-

Finishing area operator vs production worker salary

Finishing area operators and production workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Finishing Area Operator	Production Worker
Average salary	$33,012	$30,847
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $45,000	Between $24,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	-	Tacoma, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	BD
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between finishing area operator and production worker education

There are a few differences between a finishing area operator and a production worker in terms of educational background:

	Finishing Area Operator	Production Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 52%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Finishing area operator vs production worker demographics

Here are the differences between finishing area operators' and production workers' demographics:

	Finishing Area Operator	Production Worker
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5%	Male, 56.3% Female, 43.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 23.3% Asian, 6.9% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between finishing area operator and production worker duties and responsibilities

Finishing area operator example responsibilities.

Experience following procedures and managing GMP documentation.
Operate heavy machinery such as bobcat equipment and also operate and pave asphalt perform demolition work.
Load pre-cut graphite stamp dyes into EDM head.

Production worker example responsibilities.

Manage and instruct workers in the art of food preparation as culinary team leader.
Require to know safe food practices like HACCP, and knowing USDA and FDA guidelines when handling and storing foods.
Use scribers, dividers, and squares to mark dimensions on material.
Produce glace, demi-glace and elite culinary sauces.
Handle parts that run off conveyors and are send for painting.
Operate large grinders, run high heat ovens, inspect and paint parts, packaging.

Finishing area operator vs production worker skills

Common finishing area operator skills

Safety Procedures, 64%
Operational Procedures, 25%
Rail Cars, 12%

Common production worker skills

Production Process, 15%
Safety Procedures, 10%
Assembly Line, 10%
Basic Math, 10%
Quality Standards, 6%
Pallet Jack, 5%

Finishing Area Operator vs. similar jobs

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Finishing Area Operator
Finishing Area Operator vs Production Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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