Forming machine operator vs welder-machine operator

The differences between forming machine operators and welder-machine operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a welder-machine operator has an average salary of $37,171, which is higher than the $35,252 average annual salary of a forming machine operator.

The top three skills for a forming machine operator include quality standards, safety rules and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a welder-machine operator are arc welding, safety equipment, and stainless steel.

Forming machine operator vs welder-machine operator overview

	Forming Machine Operator	Welder-Machine Operator
Yearly salary	$35,252	$37,171
Hourly rate	$16.95	$17.87
Growth rate	7%	-5%
Number of jobs	65,510	68,316
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	44	40
Years of experience	-	6

Forming machine operator vs welder-machine operator salary

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

	Forming Machine Operator	Welder-Machine Operator
Average salary	$35,252	$37,171
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $46,000	Between $27,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Allentown, PA	Fontana, CA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Nevada
Best paying company	AMETEK	BWX Technologies
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between forming machine operator and welder-machine operator education

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

	Forming Machine Operator	Welder-Machine Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	Dunwoody College of Technology

Forming machine operator vs welder-machine operator demographics

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

	Forming Machine Operator	Welder-Machine Operator
Average age	44	40
Gender ratio	Male, 78.3% Female, 21.7%	Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4%
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, 11.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	5%	3%

Differences between forming machine operator and welder-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.

Welder-machine operator example responsibilities.

Weld required parts using GMAW, GTAW, and SMAW.
Require to weld a wide veriety of assemblies, fabricate parts and maintain equipment and fixtures employing GMAW and GTAW techniques.
Operate the welding robots and do rework with the MIG welder.
Weld both steel and aluminum pressure tanks for both train and truck air brake systems.
Dismantle metal assemblies and cut scrap metal, using thermal-cutting equipment such as flame-cutting torches or plasma-arc equipment.
Position, align, fit, and weld together parts, using jigs, welding torch, and hand tools.

Forming machine operator vs welder-machine operator skills

Common forming machine operator skills

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

Common welder-machine operator skills

Arc Welding, 7%
Safety Equipment, 7%
Stainless Steel, 6%
CNC, 6%
Tig Welding, 5%
Tape Measure, 5%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Forming Machine Operator
Forming Machine Operator vs Welder-Machine Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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