Lead loader vs mill operator

The differences between lead loaders and mill operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a lead loader and a mill operator. Additionally, a mill operator has an average salary of $39,045, which is higher than the $36,858 average annual salary of a lead loader.

The top three skills for a lead loader include load trucks, safety standards and pallets. The most important skills for a mill operator are CNC, OSHA, and math.

Lead loader vs mill operator overview

	Lead Loader	Mill Operator
Yearly salary	$36,858	$39,045
Hourly rate	$17.72	$18.77
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	4,333	64,574
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Lead loader vs mill operator salary

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

	Lead Loader	Mill Operator
Average salary	$36,858	$39,045
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $58,000	Between $31,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	-	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Freeport-McMoRan
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between lead loader and mill operator education

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

	Lead Loader	Mill Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Lead loader vs mill operator demographics

Here are the differences between lead loaders' and mill operators' demographics:

	Lead Loader	Mill Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2%	Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 15.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 2.3% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	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	4%	4%

Differences between lead loader and mill operator duties and responsibilities

Lead loader example responsibilities.

Manage Mexico border, customs paperwork, and drayage for Lear, drayage/door to door movements for Nissan.
Move product locations using RF unit.
Help direct other loaders during operation, ensuring accurate and efficient completion of tasks.
Distribute work to loaders daily and keep records of production numbers for each loader.
General warehouse duties and responsible for cleaning the work area and equipment regularly by removing empty pallets, wood and plastic.
Operate various machines throughout warehouse following OSHA and company safety protocols.

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.

Lead loader vs mill operator skills

Common lead loader skills

Load Trucks, 18%
Safety Standards, 16%
Pallets, 11%
Loaders, 9%
Unload Trailers, 6%
Pallet Jack, 6%

Common mill operator skills

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