Lead person vs lead operator

The differences between lead people and lead operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a lead person and a lead operator. Additionally, a lead person has an average salary of $105,432, which is higher than the $88,429 average annual salary of a lead operator.

The top three skills for a lead person include safety rules, ISO and safety regulations. The most important skills for a lead operator are customer service, HR, and process improvement.

Lead person vs lead operator overview

	Lead Person	Lead Operator
Yearly salary	$105,432	$88,429
Hourly rate	$50.69	$42.51
Growth rate	-	7%
Number of jobs	87,619	87,338
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

What does a lead person do?

A lead person or lead worker is an employee who provides leadership and instructions to others in a group to complete tasks quickly and effectively. Lead workers plan and organize meetings with supervisors and the management to discuss a particular project's progress and development. Lead persons would often participate in the training of new employees about their job duties. As the group leader, lead persons must also ensure that employees are following company policies and adhere to all standards and guidelines.

What does a lead operator do?

Lead operators are responsible for the direction and supervision of the day-to-day activities in facilities. As machine operators, they control machines and take charge of industrial operations. They handle and move objects, monitor processes, and inspect materials, structures, and equipment. Also, they may serve as mentors for the new production employees concerning occupational health and safety. They must be skilled in safety procedures, heavy equipment, preventive maintenance, and other things related to machine operations.

Lead person vs lead operator salary

Lead people and lead operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lead Person	Lead Operator
Average salary	$105,432	$88,429
Salary range	Between $64,000 And $171,000	Between $54,000 And $142,000
Highest paying City	Santa Rosa, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	New Jersey
Best paying company	Google	Meta
Best paying industry	Construction	Technology

Differences between lead person and lead operator education

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

	Lead Person	Lead Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Lead person vs lead operator demographics

Here are the differences between lead people' and lead operators' demographics:

	Lead Person	Lead Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 84.4% Female, 15.6%	Male, 73.5% Female, 26.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 4.7% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 4.6% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between lead person and lead operator duties and responsibilities

Lead person example responsibilities.

Manage the POS system to process sales/returns/exchanges.
Manage job crew, operate industrial vac-truck, obtain CDL
Attain permits and ensure workers used proper PPE prior to entering confine spaces.
Train and achieve USG certification for stainless steel, common steel MIG, aluminum MIG, and TIG common.
Need method to proactively manage the business improving cross-functional collaboration & KPI visibility.
Conduct hourly quality and production inspections, while following all FDA, SQF and GMP guide lines.

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Lead operator example responsibilities.

Plan, organize, and lead Kaizen activities as well as managed the cost reduction activities from idea to implementation.
Contact potential REO listing brokers achieving the highest return call rate.
Create UAT scripts and utilize statistical process controls to manage loan process quality and ensure consistency.
Achieve goals in various metrics, from sales to plan, payroll, additional services, print center.
Manage and organize incoming records and publications for use on SharePoint.
Need method to proactively manage the business improving cross-functional collaboration & KPI visibility.

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Lead person vs lead operator skills

Common lead person skills

Safety Rules, 8%
ISO, 7%
Safety Regulations, 7%
CNC, 6%
Safety Procedures, 6%
Production Floor, 5%

Common lead operator skills

Customer Service, 18%
HR, 10%
Process Improvement, 6%
Project Management, 6%
Continuous Improvement, 6%
Safety Procedures, 4%

Lead Person vs. similar jobs

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Updated January 8, 2025

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