Lead press operator vs compositor

The differences between lead press operators and compositors 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 press operator and a compositor. Additionally, a compositor has an average salary of $45,101, which is higher than the $43,547 average annual salary of a lead press operator.

The top three skills for a lead press operator include safety procedures, routine maintenance and preventative maintenance. The most important skills for a compositor are VFX, visual effects, and animation.

Lead press operator vs compositor overview

	Lead Press Operator	Compositor
Yearly salary	$43,547	$45,101
Hourly rate	$20.94	$21.68
Growth rate	-5%	-
Number of jobs	32,598	154
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

Lead press operator vs compositor salary

Lead press operators and compositors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lead Press Operator	Compositor
Average salary	$43,547	$45,101
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $60,000	Between $23,000 And $85,000
Highest paying City	-	Pittsfield, MA
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Dassault Systèmes
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between lead press operator and compositor education

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

	Lead Press Operator	Compositor
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Business	Animation
Most common college	-	-

Lead press operator vs compositor demographics

Here are the differences between lead press operators' and compositors' demographics:

	Lead Press Operator	Compositor
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5%	Male, 62.7% Female, 37.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 6.5% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 7.3% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between lead press operator and compositor duties and responsibilities

Lead press operator example responsibilities.

Manage output of film, using page-layout applications QuarkXpress and PageMaker.
Manage the production flow from typesetting - paste-up, imaging, layout, composing, proofing and plating for press.
Need method to proactively manage the business improving cross-functional collaboration & KPI visibility.
Mark Andy - 2200 / 10"six color press.
Maintain up to date production records with a high degree of accuracy to conform to ISO standards.
Supervise and coordinate activities in operating an aluminum extrusion press to manufacture a variety of custom extrusions.

Compositor example responsibilities.

Work closely with lighting and fx leads to help achieve an efficient workflow.
Work include matte extractions, tracking, color correction, paint fixesand integrating cg elements.
Direct a small VFX team, create consistent, realistic 3D environments/effects; integrate live-action (film) into the CGI.
Apply FX stage makeup efficiently and quickly for several characters using stage blood, liquid latex, and other FX materials.
Install signs, and apply graphics to cars, vans, trucks, semi-trucks, boats, and windows.
Hand cut stencils and hand letter signs.

Lead press operator vs compositor skills

Common lead press operator skills

Safety Procedures, 15%
Routine Maintenance, 14%
Preventative Maintenance, 12%
Press Operators, 7%
UV, 4%
Production Schedules, 4%

Common compositor skills

VFX, 19%
Visual Effects, 13%
Animation, 11%
CG, 11%
Maya, 7%
Mocha, 6%