Lathe operator vs machine set up operator

The differences between lathe operators and machine set up operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a lathe operator has an average salary of $36,280, which is higher than the $35,823 average annual salary of a machine set up operator.

The top three skills for a lathe operator include cnc lathes, micrometers and manual lathes. The most important skills for a machine set up operator are cnc machines, calipers, and micrometers.

Lathe operator vs machine set up operator overview

	Lathe Operator	Machine Set Up Operator
Yearly salary	$36,280	$35,823
Hourly rate	$17.44	$17.22
Growth rate	-5%	-8%
Number of jobs	45,596	61,986
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	46	43
Years of experience	-	2

Lathe operator vs machine set up operator salary

Lathe operators and machine set up operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lathe Operator	Machine Set Up Operator
Average salary	$36,280	$35,823
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $47,000	Between $28,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	Youngstown, OH	Holyoke, MA
Highest paying state	Ohio	California
Best paying company	Valmont Industries	ABB
Best paying industry	Technology	Automotive

Differences between lathe operator and machine set up operator education

There are a few differences between a lathe operator and a machine set up operator in terms of educational background:

	Lathe Operator	Machine Set Up Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Lathe operator vs machine set up operator demographics

Here are the differences between lathe operators' and machine set up operators' demographics:

	Lathe Operator	Machine Set Up Operator
Average age	46	43
Gender ratio	Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1%	Male, 86.5% Female, 13.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 1.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 3.7% White, 77.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	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	6%	6%

Differences between lathe operator and machine set up operator duties and responsibilities

Lathe operator example responsibilities.

Operate and programme Mazak lathes.
Operate dual side Okuma lathe.
Perform SPC inpections reports for cus to meet monitoring.
Fabricate metal parts using punch press, CNC brake press.
Check parts using CMM, micrometers and other appropriate gauges.
Grind and send dog food into the extrusion for cooking.

Machine set up operator example responsibilities.

Perform trial runs on new CNC programs, working with programming and tooling to achieve satisfactory parts.
Used micrometers and calipers to determine require tolerances.
Follow ISO and QS standard operating procedures.
Panel control, fanuc control, & dynapath.
Run machines after setup, inspect parts run.
Work on CNC OKUMA machines, horizontals and verticals.

Lathe operator vs machine set up operator skills

Common lathe operator skills

CNC Lathes, 11%
Micrometers, 11%
Manual Lathes, 10%
Hand Tools, 9%
Calipers, 8%
Math, 6%

Common machine set up operator skills

CNC Machines, 13%
Calipers, 10%
Micrometers, 9%
CNC Lathes, 6%
Quality Checks, 5%
Math, 5%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Lathe Operator
Lathe Operator vs Machine Set Up Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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