Machine operater demographics and statistics in the US
Machine operater demographics research summary. Zippia estimates machine operater demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our machine operater estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about machine operaters after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 347,785 machine operaters currently employed in the United States.
- 26.8% of all machine operaters are women, while 73.2% are men.
- The average machine operater age is 44 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of machine operaters is White (61.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (15.1%), Black or African American (11.8%) and Asian (7.4%).
- In 2022, women earned 97% of what men earned.
- 5% of all machine operaters are LGBT.
- Machine operaters are 72% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Machine operater demographics by:
Machine operater gender statistics
26.8% of machine operaters are women and 73.2% of machine operaters are men.
- Male, 73.2%
- Female, 26.8%
Machine operater gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 73.2% |
| Female | 26.8% |
Machine operater gender pay gap
Women earn 97¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$34,114
Female income
$32,924
Machine operater gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in machine operater positions over time. Currently, 26.8% of machine operaters are female.
Machine operater gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 71.23% | 28.77% |
| 2011 | 72.07% | 27.93% |
| 2012 | 72.11% | 27.89% |
| 2013 | 72.04% | 27.96% |
| 2014 | 73.14% | 26.86% |
| 2015 | 70.66% | 29.34% |
| 2016 | 72.10% | 27.90% |
| 2017 | 73.23% | 26.77% |
| 2018 | 72.89% | 27.11% |
| 2019 | 71.61% | 28.39% |
| 2020 | 73.80% | 26.20% |
| 2021 | 73.17% | 26.83% |
Machine operater related jobs gender ratio
We compared machine operaters 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% |
| Machine Operater | 73% | 27% |
| Bucket Operator | 99% | 1% |
| Stone Cutter | 99% | 1% |
| Corrugator | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Machine operater demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among machine operaters is White, which makes up 61.0% of all machine operaters. Comparatively, 15.1% of machine operaters are Hispanic or Latino and 11.8% of machine operaters are Black or African American.
- White, 61.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 15.1%
- Black or African American, 11.8%
- Asian, 7.4%
- Unknown, 3.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
Machine operater race
| Machine operater race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 61.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15.1% |
| Black or African American | 11.8% |
| Asian | 7.4% |
| Unknown | 3.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.3% |
Machine operater race and ethnicity over time
See how machine operater racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Machine operater race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 64.95% | 13.69% | 4.38% | 15.39% |
| 2011 | 63.64% | 13.86% | 5.33% | 15.44% |
| 2012 | 63.18% | 12.26% | 6.17% | 16.60% |
| 2013 | 64.63% | 13.52% | 5.29% | 14.54% |
| 2014 | 62.96% | 12.75% | 6.25% | 15.96% |
| 2015 | 64.89% | 12.60% | 6.24% | 14.17% |
| 2016 | 62.81% | 11.86% | 7.26% | 15.68% |
| 2017 | 63.51% | 12.20% | 6.98% | 14.71% |
| 2018 | 64.23% | 11.71% | 5.90% | 15.63% |
| 2019 | 66.04% | 12.10% | 6.30% | 13.17% |
| 2020 | 63.60% | 12.81% | 5.74% | 13.78% |
| 2021 | 61.02% | 11.85% | 7.37% | 15.14% |
Machine operater wage gap by race
According to our data, white machine operaters have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown machine operaters have the lowest average salary at $33,241.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $33,241 |
| White | $35,623 |
| Black or African American | $34,263 |
| Asian | $33,827 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $33,663 |
Average machine operater age
See how the average age of machine operaters varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Machine operater 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 |
Machine operater age breakdown
The average age of machine operaters is 40+ years years old, representing 64% of the machine operater population.
Machine operater age breakdown
| Machine Operater Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 64% |
| 30-40 years | 20% |
| 20-30 years | 15% |
Machine operater educational attainment
The most common degree for machine operaters is high school diploma, with 57% of machine operaters earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are diploma degree at 23% and diploma degree at 9%.
- High School Diploma, 57%
- Diploma, 23%
- Associate, 9%
- Bachelor's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Machine operaters by degree level
| Machine operater degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 57% |
| Diploma | 23% |
| Associate | 9% |
| Bachelor's | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Machine operater jobs you might like
Machine operater wage gap by degree level
According to the data, machine operaters with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $34,574 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, machine operaters earn a median annual income of $34,312 compared to $34,058 for machine operaters with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $34,058 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $34,312 |
| No Education | $32,921 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $34,574 |
Machine operater employment statistics
Most machine operaters work for a private in the manufacturing industry.
Company size where machine operaters work
Below, you can see the size of companies where machine operaters work.
Machine operater jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 4% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 14% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 22% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 12% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 24% |
| > 10,000 employees | 25% |
Machine operater jobs by company type
Employees with the machine operater job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most machine operaters prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Machine operater jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 26% |
| Private | 72% |
| Government | 1% |
Machine operater jobs by industry
The most common industries for machine operaters are manufacturing, automotive and professional.
Machine operater industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 40% |
| Fortune 500 | 10% |
| Automotive | 7% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Retail | 6% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Media | 3% |
| Transportation | 3% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Construction | 3% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Education | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Machine operater turnover and employment statistics
Machine operater unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for machine operaters between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Machine operater unemployment rate by year
| Year | Machine operater 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 machine operater tenure
The average machine operater stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 2,098 machine operaters resumes in Zippia's database.
Machine operater tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 32% |
| 1-2 years | 29% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 9% |
Machine operater LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of machine operaters 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Webbing Inspector | 4.47% | 16,566 |
| Machine Operater | 4.75% | - |
| Prosthetics Technician | 5.24% | 6,302 |
| Napkin Machine Operator | 7.84% | 53,632 |
| Wine Master | 8.41% | 8,543 |
| Foundry Helper | 8.89% | 13,657 |
| Enlarger | 15.21% | 81 |
Similar machine operater jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Webbing Inspector | 4.47% | 16,566 |
| Prosthetics Technician | 5.24% | 6,302 |
| Napkin Machine Operator | 7.84% | 53,632 |
| Wine Master | 8.41% | 8,543 |
| Foundry Helper | 8.89% | 13,657 |
| Enlarger | 15.21% | 81 |
Foreign languages spoken by machine operaters
The most common foreign language among machine operaters is Spanish at 69.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Russian at 5.6% and Hindi is the third-most popular at 5.6%.
- Spanish, 69.4%
- Russian, 5.6%
- Hindi, 5.6%
- Polish, 5.6%
- Nepali, 2.8%
- Other, 11.0%
Machine operater languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 69.4% |
| Russian | 5.6% |
| Hindi | 5.6% |
| Polish | 5.6% |
| Nepali | 2.8% |
| Other | 11.0% |
