Line operator demographics and statistics in the US
Line operator demographics research summary. Zippia estimates line operator demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our line operator estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about line operators after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 619,109 line operators currently employed in the United States.
- 32.4% of all line operators are women, while 67.6% are men.
- The average line operator age is 44 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of line operators is White (61.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (15.4%), Black or African American (11.9%) and Asian (7.0%).
- Line operators are most in-demand in Pacific, MO.
- The manufacturing industry is the highest-paying for line operators.
- 5% of all line operators are LGBT.
On this page
Line operator demographics by:
Line operator gender statistics
32.4% of line operators are women and 67.6% of line operators are men.
- Male, 67.6%
- Female, 32.4%
Line operator gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 67.6% |
| Female | 32.4% |
Line operator gender pay gap
Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$35,260
Female income
$33,872
Line operator gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in line operator positions over time. Currently, 32.4% of line operators are female.
Line operator gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 65.43% | 34.57% |
| 2011 | 66.35% | 33.65% |
| 2012 | 66.39% | 33.61% |
| 2013 | 66.32% | 33.68% |
| 2014 | 67.54% | 32.46% |
| 2015 | 64.80% | 35.20% |
| 2016 | 66.38% | 33.62% |
| 2017 | 67.64% | 32.36% |
| 2018 | 67.26% | 32.74% |
| 2019 | 65.84% | 34.16% |
| 2020 | 68.28% | 31.72% |
| 2021 | 67.58% | 32.42% |
Line operator related jobs gender ratio
We compared line operators with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, corrugator and stone cutter have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Screen Examiner | 7% | 93% |
| Cake Decorator | 9% | 91% |
| Garment Inspector | 10% | 90% |
| Line Operator | 68% | 32% |
| Bucket Operator | 99% | 1% |
| Stone Cutter | 99% | 1% |
| Corrugator | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Line operator demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among line operators is White, which makes up 61.1% of all line operators. Comparatively, 15.4% of line operators are Hispanic or Latino and 11.9% of line operators are Black or African American.
- White, 61.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 15.4%
- Black or African American, 11.9%
- Asian, 7.0%
- Unknown, 3.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
Line operator race
| Line operator race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 61.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15.4% |
| Black or African American | 11.9% |
| Asian | 7.0% |
| Unknown | 3.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.2% |
Line operator race and ethnicity over time
See how line operator racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Line operator race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 65.02% | 13.77% | 3.97% | 15.67% |
| 2011 | 63.71% | 13.94% | 4.91% | 15.71% |
| 2012 | 63.24% | 12.34% | 5.75% | 16.87% |
| 2013 | 64.70% | 13.60% | 4.87% | 14.81% |
| 2014 | 63.03% | 12.83% | 5.83% | 16.23% |
| 2015 | 64.96% | 12.68% | 5.82% | 14.44% |
| 2016 | 62.88% | 11.94% | 6.84% | 15.95% |
| 2017 | 63.58% | 12.28% | 6.56% | 14.99% |
| 2018 | 64.30% | 11.79% | 5.48% | 15.90% |
| 2019 | 66.11% | 12.18% | 5.88% | 13.44% |
| 2020 | 63.67% | 12.89% | 5.32% | 14.05% |
| 2021 | 61.09% | 11.93% | 6.95% | 15.41% |
Line operator wage gap by race
According to our data, white line operators have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown line operators have the lowest average salary at $34,241.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $34,241 |
| White | $37,029 |
| Black or African American | $35,434 |
| Asian | $34,925 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $34,733 |
Average line operator age
See how the average age of line operators varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Line operator age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 40 | 44 |
| White | 42 | 50 |
| Black or African American | 40 | 49.5 |
| Asian | 46 | 51.5 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 42 | 47 |
Line operator age breakdown
The average age of line operators is 40+ years years old, representing 64% of the line operator population.
Line operator age breakdown
| Line Operator Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 64% |
| 30-40 years | 20% |
| 20-30 years | 15% |
Line operator educational attainment
The most common degree for line operators is high school diploma, with 49% of line operators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 15%.
- High School Diploma, 49%
- Associate, 17%
- Bachelor's, 15%
- Diploma, 13%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Line operators by degree level
| Line operator degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 49% |
| Associate | 17% |
| Bachelor's | 15% |
| Diploma | 13% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Line operator jobs you might like
Line operator wage gap by degree level
According to the data, line operators with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $35,798 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, line operators earn a median annual income of $35,491 compared to $35,195 for line operators with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $35,195 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $35,491 |
| No Education | $33,869 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $35,798 |
Line operator employment statistics
Most line operators work for a private in the manufacturing industry.
Company size where line operators work
Below, you can see the size of companies where line operators work.
Line operator jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 4% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 4% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 14% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 30% |
| > 10,000 employees | 39% |
Line operator jobs by company type
Employees with the line operator job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most line operators prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Line operator jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 36% |
| Private | 62% |
| Government | 1% |
Line operator jobs by industry
The most common industries for line operators are manufacturing, automotive and professional.
Line operator industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 34% |
| Fortune 500 | 15% |
| Automotive | 8% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Retail | 7% |
| Transportation | 5% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Construction | 3% |
| Pharmaceutical | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Agriculture | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
Line operator turnover and employment statistics
Line operator unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for line operators between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Line operator unemployment rate by year
| Year | Line operator unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 15.94% |
| 2011 | 15.49% |
| 2012 | 13.87% |
| 2013 | 12.49% |
| 2014 | 12.20% |
| 2015 | 9.40% |
| 2016 | 7.70% |
| 2017 | 8.32% |
| 2018 | 7.77% |
| 2019 | 8.42% |
| 2020 | 6.77% |
| 2021 | 8.38% |
Average line operator tenure
The average line operator stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 16,712 line operators resumes in Zippia's database.
Line operator tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 36% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 6% |
Line operator LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of line operators that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Watch Parts Inspector | 4.47% | 39,453 |
| Line Operator | 4.75% | - |
| Medical Appliance Maker | 5.24% | 53,648 |
| Corrugator | 7.84% | 8,092 |
| Precipitator | 8.41% | 8 |
| Product Development Assistant | 8.89% | 110,496 |
| Film Splicer | 15.21% | 548 |
Similar line operator jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Watch Parts Inspector | 4.47% | 39,453 |
| Medical Appliance Maker | 5.24% | 53,648 |
| Corrugator | 7.84% | 8,092 |
| Precipitator | 8.41% | 8 |
| Product Development Assistant | 8.89% | 110,496 |
| Film Splicer | 15.21% | 548 |
Foreign languages spoken by line operators
The most common foreign language among line operators is Spanish at 78.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 2.5% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 2.1%.
- Spanish, 78.4%
- French, 2.5%
- Portuguese, 2.1%
- German, 1.7%
- Italian, 1.7%
- Other, 13.6%
Line operator languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 78.4% |
| French | 2.5% |
| Portuguese | 2.1% |
| German | 1.7% |
| Italian | 1.7% |
| Other | 13.6% |
