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The differences between junior operators and 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 junior operator, becoming an operator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an operator has an average salary of $37,928, which is higher than the $37,735 average annual salary of a junior operator.
The top three skills for a junior operator include frac, safety rules and pallets. The most important skills for an operator are safety procedures, CDL, and emergency calls.
| Junior Operator | Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $37,735 | $37,928 |
| Hourly rate | $18.14 | $18.23 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 49,016 | 159,077 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Average age | 40 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Junior operators ensure efficient, reliable, and safe operation of assigned areas by following operating discipline practices, procedures, policies, standards, and principles. They enable good functional discipline for each activity, both unplanned and planned, and monitor key performance metrics, control systems, process conditions, and equipment systems. Also, they make reliable decisions to achieve and maintain the right conditions or rates as per the site goals. These professionals perform scheduled operational tasks, related tasks, and other tasks that arise because of handling unplanned events.
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.
Junior operators and operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Operator | Operator | |
| Average salary | $37,735 | $37,928 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $52,000 | Between $27,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | - | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a junior operator and an operator in terms of educational background:
| Junior Operator | Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between junior operators' and operators' demographics:
| Junior Operator | Operator | |
| Average age | 40 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.2% Female, 15.8% | Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 22.1% Asian, 1.2% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% | 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% |