Lathe operator vs welder-machine operator

The differences between lathe operators and welder-machine operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a welder-machine operator has an average salary of $37,171, 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 welder-machine operator are arc welding, safety equipment, and stainless steel.

Lathe operator vs welder-machine operator overview

	Lathe Operator	Welder-Machine Operator
Yearly salary	$36,280	$37,171
Hourly rate	$17.44	$17.87
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	45,596	68,316
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	46	40
Years of experience	-	6

Lathe operator vs welder-machine operator salary

Lathe operators and welder-machine operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lathe Operator	Welder-Machine Operator
Average salary	$36,280	$37,171
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $47,000	Between $27,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Youngstown, OH	Fontana, CA
Highest paying state	Ohio	Nevada
Best paying company	Valmont Industries	BWX Technologies
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between lathe operator and welder-machine operator education

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

	Lathe Operator	Welder-Machine Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	Dunwoody College of Technology

Lathe operator vs welder-machine operator demographics

Here are the differences between lathe operators' and welder-machine operators' demographics:

	Lathe Operator	Welder-Machine Operator
Average age	46	40
Gender ratio	Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1%	Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4%
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, 11.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	6%	3%

Differences between lathe operator and welder-machine 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.

Welder-machine operator example responsibilities.

Weld required parts using GMAW, GTAW, and SMAW.
Require to weld a wide veriety of assemblies, fabricate parts and maintain equipment and fixtures employing GMAW and GTAW techniques.
Operate the welding robots and do rework with the MIG welder.
Weld both steel and aluminum pressure tanks for both train and truck air brake systems.
Dismantle metal assemblies and cut scrap metal, using thermal-cutting equipment such as flame-cutting torches or plasma-arc equipment.
Position, align, fit, and weld together parts, using jigs, welding torch, and hand tools.

Lathe operator vs welder-machine operator skills

Common lathe operator skills

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

Common welder-machine operator skills

Arc Welding, 7%
Safety Equipment, 7%
Stainless Steel, 6%
CNC, 6%
Tig Welding, 5%
Tape Measure, 5%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Lathe Operator
Lathe Operator vs Welder-Machine Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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