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Hydraulic press operator vs welder-machine operator

The differences between hydraulic press operators and welder-machine operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a hydraulic press operator, becoming a welder-machine operator takes usually requires 3-6 months. Additionally, a welder-machine operator has an average salary of $37,171, which is higher than the $32,065 average annual salary of a hydraulic press operator.

The top three skills for a hydraulic press operator include hand tools, calipers and PPE. The most important skills for a welder-machine operator are arc welding, safety equipment, and stainless steel.

Hydraulic press operator vs welder-machine operator overview

Hydraulic Press OperatorWelder-Machine Operator
Yearly salary$32,065$37,171
Hourly rate$15.42$17.87
Growth rate-5%-5%
Number of jobs44,76068,316
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 56%High School Diploma, 53%
Average age4640
Years of experience26

Hydraulic press operator vs welder-machine operator salary

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

Hydraulic Press OperatorWelder-Machine Operator
Average salary$32,065$37,171
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $38,000Between $27,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City-Fontana, CA
Highest paying state-Nevada
Best paying company-BWX Technologies
Best paying industry-Technology

Differences between hydraulic press operator and welder-machine operator education

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

Hydraulic Press OperatorWelder-Machine Operator
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 56%High School Diploma, 53%
Most common majorBusinessPrecision Metal Working
Most common college-Dunwoody College of Technology

Hydraulic press operator vs welder-machine operator demographics

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

Hydraulic Press OperatorWelder-Machine Operator
Average age4640
Gender ratioMale, 90.1% Female, 9.9%Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 1.7% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%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 Percentage3%3%

Differences between hydraulic press operator and welder-machine operator duties and responsibilities

Hydraulic press operator example responsibilities.

  • Perform pressure and travel setting adjustments by CNC controls.
  • Weld using spot, mig, and arc welders.
  • Operate a hydraulic bender, cold steel press/punch, and MIG welder.
  • Train in confine space, micrometers, calipers, and handling of hazardous waste and chemicals.
  • Maintain strict quality requirements using scales, calipers and micrometers.
  • Press operator on misc multicolore Heidelberg and Komori presses

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.
  • Show more

Hydraulic press operator vs welder-machine operator skills

Common hydraulic press operator skills
  • Hand Tools, 52%
  • Calipers, 22%
  • PPE, 9%
  • CNC, 7%
  • Assembly Line, 4%
  • Quality Checks, 4%
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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