Gear cutter vs optical lathe operator

The differences between gear cutters and optical lathe operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a gear cutter has an average salary of $41,190, which is higher than the $40,290 average annual salary of an optical lathe operator.

The top three skills for a gear cutter include cnc machines, barber-coleman and calipers. The most important skills for an optical lathe operator are etching, , and .

Gear cutter vs optical lathe operator overview

	Gear Cutter	Optical Lathe Operator
Yearly salary	$41,190	$40,290
Hourly rate	$19.80	$19.37
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	4,528	27,565
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

Gear cutter vs optical lathe operator salary

Gear cutters and optical lathe operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Gear Cutter	Optical Lathe Operator
Average salary	$41,190	$40,290
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $61,000	Between $32,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between gear cutter and optical lathe operator education

There are a few differences between a gear cutter and an optical lathe operator in terms of educational background:

	Gear Cutter	Optical Lathe Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Manufacturing Engineering	Business
Most common college	-	-

Gear cutter vs optical lathe operator demographics

Here are the differences between gear cutters' and optical lathe operators' demographics:

	Gear Cutter	Optical Lathe Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 96.1% Female, 3.9%	Male, 60.9% Female, 39.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 1.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 3.7% White, 77.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 1.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 3.7% White, 77.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between gear cutter and optical lathe operator duties and responsibilities

Gear cutter example responsibilities.

Work operating equipment including gear generators such as gear grinders, shapers and hobbing machines and manual OD grinders.
Set machine up to run different parts.
Operate the machines in the CVT department.
Advise management on CMM probes and sizes that would be applicable to their needs.
Utilize Gleason gear testers to check gear patterns and a Zeiss CMM to obtain corrections to input into the FANUC controls.
Calculate dimensions and tolerances using knowledge of mathematics and instruments such as micrometers and veneer calipers.

Optical lathe operator example responsibilities.

Utilize CMS to track agents on calls.
Operate machines including lathes, cutters, shears, borers, millers, grinders, drills, jigs, heating machines.
Review the retention guidelines for compliance with destruction of archival records.
Operate Fanuc and Siemens preset programs to manufacture hubs, break drums, and wheels for semi tractor and trailers.

Gear cutter vs optical lathe operator skills

Common gear cutter skills

CNC Machines, 49%
Barber-Coleman, 24%
Calipers, 20%
RUN, 7%

Common optical lathe operator skills

Etching, 100%

Gear Cutter vs. similar jobs

Gear Cutter related careers

Gear Cutter related jobs

What similar roles do

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse production and manufacturing jobs