Laser engraver vs laser operator

The differences between laser engravers and laser 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 a laser operator. Additionally, a laser engraver has an average salary of $36,398, which is higher than the $34,813 average annual salary of a laser operator.

The top three skills for a laser engraver include engraving, corel draw and laser engravers. The most important skills for a laser operator are laser cutting, calipers, and laser machine.

Laser engraver vs laser operator overview

	Laser Engraver	Laser Operator
Yearly salary	$36,398	$34,813
Hourly rate	$17.50	$16.74
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	506	56,479
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	44	43
Years of experience	2	2

Laser engraver vs laser operator salary

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

	Laser Engraver	Laser Operator
Average salary	$36,398	$34,813
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $46,000	Between $27,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	-	Oregon City, OR
Highest paying state	-	Oregon
Best paying company	-	Kloeckner Metals
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between laser engraver and laser operator education

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

	Laser Engraver	Laser Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Graphic Design	Business
Most common college	-	-

Laser engraver vs laser operator demographics

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

	Laser Engraver	Laser Operator
Average age	44	43
Gender ratio	Male, 65.9% Female, 34.1%	Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9%
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, 4.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.0% White, 68.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	20%	6%

Differences between laser engraver and laser 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.

Laser operator example responsibilities.

Calculate requirements, using basic math, geometry.
Follow and comply to GMP, FDA, and ISO regulations
Uphold all ISO and OSHA standards applicable to the responsibilities list above.
Complete SPC charts to track tool capability and hold tight tolerances on small parts.
Used micrometers and protractors to check dimension and angle of part during all job set ups and quality control checks.
Perform quality control inspection using calipers/gauges/micrometers and digital comparators.

Laser engraver vs laser operator skills

Common laser engraver skills

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

Common laser operator skills

Laser Cutting, 13%
Calipers, 8%
Laser Machine, 7%
Math, 6%
Hand Tools, 5%
CNC Laser, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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