How To Become An Insert Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is an insert operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Insert operators are responsible for maintaining and setting up inserting machines. As expected, you must have a working knowledge of operating the inserter. With this, you will troubleshoot the inserting machine to know the cause of faults or errors of the inserting machine. You will also handle the regular cleaning and maintenance of the inserter. Similarly, you will take note of the inserter checklist after setup for each job. In addition, you will oversee the inserting quality, insert order, and ensure that postal specifications are met.

The insert operator should be very intelligent to learn and understand how to use the machine. For example, you must understand how to use safety protocols. Additional certification on how to handle the equipment is also a plus. In addition, you must have the physical stamina to handle the equipment. Being creative and able to work under pressure is an important requirement for the post of insert operator. Insert operators earn about $13.54 an hour or $28,154 in a year.

ScoreInsert OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.5

Avg. Salary $32,457

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.4

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.68%

Asian 6.94%

Black or African American 9.26%

Hispanic or Latino 16.95%

Unknown 3.53%

White 62.64%

Gender

female 44.56%

male 55.44%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

8.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.0

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.7

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an insert operator

Explore insert operator education requirements

Most common insert operator degrees

High School Diploma

44.0 %

Associate

18.9 %

Bachelor's

15.4 %

Start to develop specific insert operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Quality Standards	17.17%
Quality Checks	13.59%
Machine Operation	8.88%
Routine Maintenance	8.39%
APS	7.27%

Complete relevant insert operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New insert operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an insert operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real insert operator resumes.

Research insert operator duties and responsibilities

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Sort tray, strap and prepare finished mail pieces in compliance with USPS regulations.

Prepare your insert operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your insert operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an insert operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable insert operator resume templates

Build a professional insert operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your insert operator resume.