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The differences between lead operator/machine operators and senior operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior operator has an average salary of $85,677, which is higher than the $39,819 average annual salary of a lead operator/machine operator.
The top three skills for a lead operator/machine operator include safety procedures, machine operators and quality standards. The most important skills for a senior operator are safety procedures, math, and powerpoint.
| Lead Operator/Machine Operator | Senior Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $39,819 | $85,677 |
| Hourly rate | $19.14 | $41.19 |
| Growth rate | - | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 162,376 | 45,548 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
A Lead Operator or an Industrial Machinery Mechanic is responsible for creating, installing, and repairing different types of machinery. This person does the adjustment and maintenance of machines as well as the industrial production and distribution of types of equipment and other systems. They also identify the causes of the problem and determines the valued solutions. Other duties include maintaining the routine monitoring of equipment to ensure quality standards and examines the production equipment to evaluate the performance and if there are changes.
Senior Operators are responsible for managing the operations and maintenance of all plants and facilities. Their duties include troubleshooting issues using root-cause analysis, carrying out testing and quality checks, assisting the lead operator in coordinating maintenance activities as well as ensuring plant and facilities condition and performance adhere to mandatory legal regulations. Senior Operators are responsible for writing daily updates for the lead operator and help human resources in conducting staff skills training.
Lead operator/machine operators and senior operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Operator/Machine Operator | Senior Operator | |
| Average salary | $39,819 | $85,677 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $53,000 | Between $54,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | ||
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a lead operator/machine operator and a senior operator in terms of educational background:
| Lead Operator/Machine Operator | Senior Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between lead operator/machine operators' and senior operators' demographics:
| Lead Operator/Machine Operator | Senior Operator | |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.9% Female, 22.1% | Male, 72.8% Female, 27.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 7.6% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 17.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 2.6% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |