A line operator works the assembly lines at manufacturing sites and in factories. They operate heavy machinery, maintain a clean and safe working environment, and functional equipment. Line operators are expected to perform quality checks on products and document processes as well.
Working in several shifts to optimize production rates, line operators are not required to have higher education. They are usually trained on-site for the role they are hired for and take it from there.
Physical stamina and being agile and dexterous will be skills that make your day easier, as well as an ability to endure monotonous activities and a loud environment.
What is a Line Operator?
What Does a Line Operator Do
There are certain skills that many line operators have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed communication skills, coordination and mechanical skills.
How To Become a Line Operator
If you're interested in becoming a line operator, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 15.0% of line operators have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 1.0% of line operators have master's degrees. Even though some line operators have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Line Operator Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of machine operator you might progress to a role such as technician eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title production supervisor.
Line Operator
Production Supervisor
7 Years
Maintenance Director
11 Years
Production Manager
6 Years
Area Manager
7 Years
Warehouse Manager
5 Years
Facilities Manager
7 Years
Show More
Average Salary for a Line Operator
Line Operators in America make an average salary of $34,520 per year or $17 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $43,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $27,000 per year.
Average Line Operator Salary
$34,520Â Yearly$16.60 hourly
$27,000
10%
$34,000
Median
$43,000
90%
What Am I Worth?
States With The Most Line Operator Jobs
Mouse over a state to see the number of active line operator jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where line operators earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average Salary: Job Openings:
Number Of Line Operator Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 3,588 | $35,438 |
| 2 | Texas | 2,675 | $31,329 |
| 3 | Florida | 2,553 | $29,467 |
| 4 | Ohio | 2,249 | $34,899 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 2,088 | $37,282 |
| 6 | Illinois | 2,018 | $36,230 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 1,755 | $34,574 |
| 8 | Georgia | 1,741 | $28,418 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 1,690 | $28,239 |
| 10 | Indiana | 1,542 | $33,420 |
| 11 | New York | 1,416 | $30,686 |
| 12 | Minnesota | 1,359 | $43,069 |
| 13 | New Jersey | 1,338 | $34,509 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | 1,330 | $40,121 |
| 15 | Tennessee | 1,201 | $30,486 |
| 16 | Michigan | 1,129 | $34,972 |
| 17 | Missouri | 960 | $34,370 |
| 18 | Arizona | 812 | $34,723 |
| 19 | Virginia | 792 | $30,425 |
| 20 | Kentucky | 766 | $34,718 |
| 21 | Colorado | 710 | $36,096 |
| 22 | Iowa | 695 | $41,283 |
| 23 | South Carolina | 686 | $32,967 |
| 24 | Maryland | 682 | $33,416 |
| 25 | Washington | 614 | $39,068 |
| 26 | Oregon | 556 | $37,464 |
| 27 | Alabama | 545 | $34,053 |
| 28 | Utah | 504 | $35,184 |
| 29 | Connecticut | 438 | $33,743 |
| 30 | Kansas | 411 | $35,184 |
| 31 | Nebraska | 383 | $34,956 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | 366 | $30,468 |
| 33 | Louisiana | 364 | $28,657 |
| 34 | Arkansas | 318 | $32,223 |
| 35 | New Hampshire | 306 | $34,916 |
| 36 | Mississippi | 289 | $30,439 |
| 37 | Nevada | 285 | $37,035 |
| 38 | Maine | 233 | $38,120 |
| 39 | Rhode Island | 223 | $36,405 |
| 40 | Idaho | 219 | $36,097 |
| 41 | New Mexico | 151 | $30,580 |
| 42 | Hawaii | 137 | $40,535 |
| 43 | Alaska | 127 | $39,075 |
| 44 | West Virginia | 124 | $32,448 |
| 45 | Delaware | 115 | $34,138 |
| 46 | South Dakota | 103 | $36,952 |
| 47 | Vermont | 99 | $33,698 |
| 48 | North Dakota | 95 | $44,747 |
| 49 | Montana | 86 | $34,593 |
| 50 | Wyoming | 28 | $22,726 |
Top Skills For a Line Operator
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 12.0% of line operators listed preventative maintenance on their resume, but soft skills such as communication skills and coordination are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Line Operator Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Line Operator templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Line Operator resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Line Operator Demographics
Line Operator Gender Distribution
Male
68%
Female
32%
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among line operators, 32.4% of them are women, while 67.6% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among line operators is White, which makes up 66.1% of all line operators.
- The most common foreign language among line operators is Spanish at 78.4%.
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Best States For a Line Operator
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a line operator. The best states for people in this position are North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and Hawaii. Line operators make the most in North Dakota with an average salary of $44,747. Whereas in Minnesota and Iowa, they would average $43,069 and $41,283, respectively. While line operators would only make an average of $40,535 in Hawaii, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Minnesota
Total Line Operator Jobs: 1,359
Highest 10% Earn:
$54,000
Location Quotient:
1.36
$43,069
Avg. Salary
2. Wisconsin
Total Line Operator Jobs: 1,330
Highest 10% Earn:
$51,000
Location Quotient:
1.6
$40,121
Avg. Salary
3. Iowa
Total Line Operator Jobs: 695
Highest 10% Earn:
$53,000
Location Quotient:
1.27
$41,283
Avg. Salary
How Do Line Operator Rate Their Jobs?
Top Line Operator Employers
Most Common Employers For Line Operator
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sanderson Farms | $44,909 | $21.59 | 112 |
| 2 | Schlumberger | $42,412 | $20.39 | 42 |
| 3 | Cargill | $41,748 | $20.07 | 49 |
| 4 | Gilster-Mary Lee | $41,573 | $19.99 | 45 |
| 5 | General Mills | $40,920 | $19.67 | 62 |
| 6 | Pilgrim's | $40,722 | $19.58 | 55 |
| 7 | Pella | $40,074 | $19.27 | 41 |
| 8 | P&G | $39,543 | $19.01 | 56 |
| 9 | Tyson Foods | $37,879 | $18.21 | 70 |
| 10 | Georgia-Pacific | $36,929 | $17.75 | 74 |
Line Operator Videos
A Day in the Life of Robert, Process Operator at Suncor Energy