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

What is an instrument operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Companies hire many instrument operators to operate and maintain machinery and equipment related to the work management process; maintain a log sheet of daily activities and management system, and provide comprehensive detailing according to the company procedures. If you are interested in getting this job, you must hold a high school diploma or bachelor's degree in any discipline. This job position does not need any experience but required physical strength, communication, and team management skills.

You need to work for about eight to ten hours and earn about $36,782 annum. As an instrument operator, you need to gain experience in operating different machines, the ability to read manuals and schematics, handle heavy equipment, multi-tasking ability, teamwork, enough knowledge of processes related to production, good communication, and problem-solving skills.

ScoreInstrument OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.4

Avg. Salary $43,179

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.4

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.08%

Asian 3.21%

Black or African American 4.56%

Hispanic or Latino 13.22%

Unknown 3.66%

White 74.27%

Gender

female 7.03%

male 92.97%

Age - 44

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 - 44

Stress level

7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an instrument operator

Explore instrument operator education requirements

Most common instrument operator degrees

Bachelor's

42.0 %

Associate

26.1 %

High School Diploma

23.6 %

Start to develop specific instrument operator skills

Skills	Percentages
GPS	19.20%
Survey Equipment	12.36%
Data Collection	8.86%
Work Ethic	6.05%
Robotic	4.32%

Complete relevant instrument operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New instrument 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 instrument operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real instrument operator resumes.

Research instrument operator duties and responsibilities

Train in Carlson, TDS, and EFB.
Experience with static, RTK, and DGPS using Trimble R8 or Leica systems.
Experience with TDS and Carlson survey programs.
Measure distance between survey points using a steel tape or using an EDM.

Prepare your instrument operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your instrument 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 instrument 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 instrument operator resume templates

Build a professional instrument 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 instrument operator resume.