Lathe operator vs mill operator

The differences between lathe operators and mill operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a mill operator has an average salary of $39,045, which is higher than the $36,280 average annual salary of a lathe operator.

The top three skills for a lathe operator include cnc lathes, micrometers and manual lathes. The most important skills for a mill operator are CNC, OSHA, and math.

Lathe operator vs mill operator overview

	Lathe Operator	Mill Operator
Yearly salary	$36,280	$39,045
Hourly rate	$17.44	$18.77
Growth rate	-5%	7%
Number of jobs	45,596	64,574
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	46	43
Years of experience	-	4

Lathe operator vs mill operator salary

Lathe operators and mill operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lathe Operator	Mill Operator
Average salary	$36,280	$39,045
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $47,000	Between $31,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	Youngstown, OH	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	Ohio	Alaska
Best paying company	Valmont Industries	Freeport-McMoRan
Best paying industry	Technology	Construction

Differences between lathe operator and mill operator education

There are a few differences between a lathe operator and a mill operator in terms of educational background:

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

Lathe operator vs mill operator demographics

Here are the differences between lathe operators' and mill operators' demographics:

	Lathe Operator	Mill Operator
Average age	46	43
Gender ratio	Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1%	Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5%
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, 14.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 2.4% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	4%

Differences between lathe operator and mill 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.

Mill operator example responsibilities.

Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Perform all work in respirator and other proper PPE.
Skil at training other machinists on CNC machines in this shop.
Assemble parts, operate CNC lathe and mills and adjust off sets.
Perform QC testing on products, filing paperwork per company and ISO standards.
Rebuild Rotex sifters, fabricate and replace screens, replace shoes and anvils in impact mills.

Lathe operator vs mill operator skills

Common lathe operator skills

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

Common mill operator skills

CNC, 7%
OSHA, 7%
Math, 6%
Calipers, 6%
Hand Tools, 5%
Safety Rules, 5%