Laser printing operator vs laser engraver

The differences between laser printing operators and laser engravers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a laser printing operator, becoming a laser engraver takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a laser engraver has an average salary of $36,398, which is higher than the $31,650 average annual salary of a laser printing operator.

The top three skills for a laser printing operator include quality standards, troubleshoot and service calls. The most important skills for a laser engraver are engraving, corel draw, and laser engravers.

Laser printing operator vs laser engraver overview

	Laser Printing Operator	Laser Engraver
Yearly salary	$31,650	$36,398
Hourly rate	$15.22	$17.50
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	32,268	506
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	48	44
Years of experience	4	2

Laser printing operator vs laser engraver salary

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

	Laser Printing Operator	Laser Engraver
Average salary	$31,650	$36,398
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $36,000	Between $28,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between laser printing operator and laser engraver education

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

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

Laser printing operator vs laser engraver demographics

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

	Laser Printing Operator	Laser Engraver
Average age	48	44
Gender ratio	Male, 81.3% Female, 18.7%	Male, 65.9% Female, 34.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 7.7% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	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%
LGBT Percentage	5%	20%

Differences between laser printing operator and laser engraver duties and responsibilities

Laser printing operator example responsibilities.

Hand collating, kitting, assembly.
Operate heavy machinery such as bobcat equipment and also operate and pave asphalt perform demolition work.
Maintain proper communication with management and frac crews on/off-site.

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 printing operator vs laser engraver skills

Common laser printing operator skills

Quality Standards, 25%
Troubleshoot, 21%
Service Calls, 13%
Quality Checks, 11%
Igen, 7%
Multiple Printers, 6%

Common laser engraver skills

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

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Laser Printing Operator
Laser Printing Operator vs Laser Engraver

Updated January 8, 2025

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