Injection molder vs plastic machine operator

The differences between injection molders and plastic machine operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an injection molder has an average salary of $32,151, which is higher than the $31,802 average annual salary of a plastic machine operator.

The top three skills for an injection molder include injection molds, plastic injection and ISO. The most important skills for a plastic machine operator are quality checks, CNC, and provide technical assistance.

Injection molder vs plastic machine operator overview

	Injection Molder	Plastic Machine Operator
Yearly salary	$32,151	$31,802
Hourly rate	$15.46	$15.29
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	1,225	58,108
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	-	-

Injection molder vs plastic machine operator salary

Injection molders and plastic machine operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Injection Molder	Plastic Machine Operator
Average salary	$32,151	$31,802
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $38,000	Between $24,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Loveland, CO	Vancouver, WA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	BD	Dart Container
Best paying industry	Automotive	Manufacturing

Differences between injection molder and plastic machine operator education

There are a few differences between an injection molder and a plastic machine operator in terms of educational background:

	Injection Molder	Plastic Machine Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Injection molder vs plastic machine operator demographics

Here are the differences between injection molders' and plastic machine operators' demographics:

	Injection Molder	Plastic Machine Operator
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 71.6% Female, 28.4%	Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 6.4% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.9% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between injection molder and plastic machine operator duties and responsibilities

Injection molder example responsibilities.

Require molding expect rate of part producing and achieving ISO QualityStandards.
Design injection mold tooling; extensive CNC programming and machining.
Work with Chrysler engineers on the original design of vacuum harnesses.
Operate 10 semi-automatic extrusion machines from 75 to 300 tons and maintain control charts for statistical analysis.
Demonstrate efficient manual dexterity at a rapid and continuous rate.
Spray molds with compounds of lubricate molds, using acetylene torches.

Plastic machine operator example responsibilities.

Assist in color die changes for use in maintaining plastic extrusion machines.
Operate pallet jacks and heavy machinery assembling bolts and nuts into car parts for Honda.
Record statistics on ISO documentation, and coordinate with machine technicians and electrical technicians to keep machines operating at maximum efficiency.
Participate in technical support and assist validation and QA department during equipment validation.

Injection molder vs plastic machine operator skills

Common injection molder skills

Injection Molds, 29%
Plastic Injection, 21%
ISO, 6%
SPC, 6%
Machine Operation, 5%
Assembly Line, 4%

Common plastic machine operator skills

Quality Checks, 19%
CNC, 12%
Provide Technical Assistance, 11%
Mold Components, 9%
Lean Manufacturing, 8%
Safety Procedures, 6%

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Injection Molder
Injection Molder vs Plastic Machine Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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