Laser engraver vs acid etch operator

The differences between laser engravers and acid etch operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a laser engraver and an acid etch operator. Additionally, an acid etch operator has an average salary of $44,344, which is higher than the $36,398 average annual salary of a laser engraver.

The top three skills for a laser engraver include engraving, corel draw and laser engravers. The most important skills for an acid etch operator are etching, acid etch, and circuit boards.

Laser engraver vs acid etch operator overview

	Laser Engraver	Acid Etch Operator
Yearly salary	$36,398	$44,344
Hourly rate	$17.50	$21.32
Growth rate	-8%	-
Number of jobs	506	25,781
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	High School Diploma, 41%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

Laser engraver vs acid etch operator salary

Laser engravers and acid etch operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Laser Engraver	Acid Etch Operator
Average salary	$36,398	$44,344
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $46,000	Between $23,000 And $82,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between laser engraver and acid etch operator education

There are a few differences between a laser engraver and an acid etch operator in terms of educational background:

	Laser Engraver	Acid Etch Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	High School Diploma, 41%
Most common major	Graphic Design	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Laser engraver vs acid etch operator demographics

Here are the differences between laser engravers' and acid etch operators' demographics:

	Laser Engraver	Acid Etch Operator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 65.9% Female, 34.1%	Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 6.2% White, 75.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 6.8% Asian, 6.9% White, 77.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	20%	20%

Differences between laser engraver and acid etch operator duties and responsibilities

Laser engraver example responsibilities.

Develop graphic templates necessary for laser engraving customer items.
Design and implement engraving work including aircraft parts and other industrial applications.
Prepare etching chemicals according to formulas, diluting acid with water to obtain solutions of specify concentration.
Prepare etching chemicals according to formulas, diluting acid with water to obtain solutions of specify concentration.

Acid etch operator example responsibilities.

Operate etching vats, distribute materials to individual machines, and balance waste water by checking and maintaining water pH levels.
Tend etch machinery and equipment that remove metal and photo resist and etch electronic circuitry into metalized surface.
Tend etch machinery and equipment that remove metal and photo resist and etch electronic circuitry into metalized surface.

Laser engraver vs acid etch operator skills

Common laser engraver skills

Engraving, 34%
Corel Draw, 20%
Laser Engravers, 12%
Etching, 9%
Graphic Design, 7%
Quality Standards, 5%

Common acid etch operator skills

Etching, 66%
Acid Etch, 20%
Circuit Boards, 14%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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