Forming machine operator vs general machine operator

The differences between forming machine operators and general machine operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a forming machine operator has an average salary of $35,252, which is higher than the $32,414 average annual salary of a general machine operator.

The top three skills for a forming machine operator include quality standards, safety rules and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a general machine operator are math, CNC, and safety procedures.

Forming machine operator vs general machine operator overview

	Forming Machine Operator	General Machine Operator
Yearly salary	$35,252	$32,414
Hourly rate	$16.95	$15.58
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	65,510	138,111
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Forming machine operator vs general machine operator salary

Forming machine operators and general machine operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Forming Machine Operator	General Machine Operator
Average salary	$35,252	$32,414
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $46,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Allentown, PA	Oshkosh, WI
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Wisconsin
Best paying company	AMETEK	Reckitt Benckiser
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between forming machine operator and general machine operator education

There are a few differences between a forming machine operator and a general machine operator in terms of educational background:

	Forming Machine Operator	General Machine Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Forming machine operator vs general machine operator demographics

Here are the differences between forming machine operators' and general machine operators' demographics:

	Forming Machine Operator	General Machine Operator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 78.3% Female, 21.7%	Male, 81.2% Female, 18.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 7.3% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between forming machine operator and general machine operator duties and responsibilities

Forming machine operator example responsibilities.

Design all extrusion dies and their support tooling.
Utilize CNC machinery for shaping and routing of materials for final product.
Trouble shooting CNC programs and re writing programs to edit to meet measurement specification.
Machine parts according to customer specifications utilizing calipers.
Work with injection molding manufacturing hospital product parts -operate machines in departments of extrusion and injection molding -Experience with digital calipers.
Stack pieces onto pallet, strap and then wrap the pallet up and label with customers information for pick up date.

General machine operator example responsibilities.

Lift work pieces to machines using hoists.
Control & troubleshoot automate extrusion line adjusting speed & feed, monitoring temperature, & finish material specification per customers order.
Overlook daily operations of single/twin screw extruders and packaging of finish product.

Forming machine operator vs general machine operator skills

Common forming machine operator skills

Quality Standards, 18%
Safety Rules, 10%
Troubleshoot, 7%
Tape Measure, 6%
Pallets, 6%
Cranes, 6%

Common general machine operator skills

Math, 12%
CNC, 10%
Safety Procedures, 10%
Troubleshoot, 9%
Production Process, 8%
Machine Operation, 6%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Forming Machine Operator
Forming Machine Operator vs General Machine Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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