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The differences between general helpers and operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an operator has an average salary of $37,928, which is higher than the $35,793 average annual salary of a general helper.
The top three skills for a general helper include tape measure, pallets and hand tools. The most important skills for an operator are safety procedures, CDL, and emergency calls.
| General Helper | Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $35,793 | $37,928 |
| Hourly rate | $17.21 | $18.23 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 69,738 | 159,077 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 48% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
General helpers are skilled workers who help other workers by performing tasks that need less skill, such as holding materials or tools and cleaning work areas and equipment. These helpers are required to provide general labor support to all departments while performing a variety of job assignments. They must ensure that everyone in an organization is following safety rules and inspect areas for safety hazards. General helpers must also perform constant quality checks on the organization's establishments using its quality guidelines and operating procedures.
Operators are skilled workers who are in charge of working on an industrial machine or a specific aspect of the manufacturing business. They are trained to operate machines, learning how to use them. They are also responsible for the maintenance and repair of the machine, and they should be able to troubleshoot problems and provide remedies to them. They must be knowledgeable about the different parts of the machine and how to mitigate any challenges that may arise. Operators should be alert, detail-oriented, and familiar with safety and health guidelines.
General helpers and operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| General Helper | Operator | |
| Average salary | $35,793 | $37,928 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $43,000 | Between $27,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chicago, IL | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | Barry-Wehmiller | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Media | Technology |
There are a few differences between a general helper and an operator in terms of educational background:
| General Helper | Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 48% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between general helpers' and operators' demographics:
| General Helper | Operator | |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.4% Female, 22.6% | Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 30.7% Asian, 2.5% White, 50.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% | Black or African American, 16.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 4% |