Finishing area operator vs shop worker

The differences between finishing area operators and shop 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 $31,850 average annual salary of a shop worker.

The top three skills for a finishing area operator include safety procedures, operational procedures and rail cars. The most important skills for a shop worker are tape measure, safety procedures, and in-shop.

Finishing area operator vs shop worker overview

	Finishing Area Operator	Shop Worker
Yearly salary	$33,012	$31,850
Hourly rate	$15.87	$15.31
Growth rate	7%	-
Number of jobs	41,820	73,161
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	-

Finishing area operator vs shop worker salary

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

	Finishing Area Operator	Shop Worker
Average salary	$33,012	$31,850
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $45,000	Between $24,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	-	Everett, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Shipt
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between finishing area operator and shop worker education

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

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

Finishing area operator vs shop worker demographics

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

	Finishing Area Operator	Shop Worker
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5%	Male, 76.5% Female, 23.5%
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, 10.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 6.9% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between finishing area operator and shop 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.

Shop worker example responsibilities.

Used calipers and gauges to make sure parts are within specs.
Record transactions in POS system from both in shop and drive thru orders.
Used FeatureCAM to prepare parts modele by students to be CNC mill with greater precision than if machine manually.
Transform the blueprint or sketch from a design into a useable product by cutting, shaping and assembling steel.
Assist shop manager in making of jigs, cut lists, and machining plans to ensure productivity and quality control.
Operate various machines such as drill presses, table saws, CNC routers and forklifts, safely in a busy warehouse.

Finishing area operator vs shop worker skills

Common finishing area operator skills

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

Common shop worker skills

Tape Measure, 9%
Safety Procedures, 8%
In-Shop, 6%
Delivery Orders, 6%
Pro Shop, 5%
Food Preparation, 5%