Machine operator demographics and statistics in the US
Machine operator demographics research summary. Zippia estimates machine operator demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our machine 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 machine operators after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 1,267,157 machine operators currently employed in the United States.
- 27.7% of all machine operators are women, while 72.3% are men.
- The average machine operator age is 44 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of machine operators is White (60.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (16.0%), Black or African American (12.0%) and Asian (7.5%).
- In 2022, women earned 97% of what men earned.
- 5% of all machine operators are LGBT.
- Machine operators are 58% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Machine operator demographics by:
Machine operator gender statistics
27.7% of machine operators are women and 72.3% of machine operators are men.
- Male, 72.3%
- Female, 27.7%
Machine operator gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 72.3% |
| Female | 27.7% |
Machine operator gender pay gap
Women earn 97¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$33,488
Female income
$32,335
Machine operator gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in machine operator positions over time. Currently, 27.7% of machine operators are female.
Machine operator gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 70.37% | 29.63% |
| 2011 | 71.22% | 28.78% |
| 2012 | 71.26% | 28.74% |
| 2013 | 71.20% | 28.80% |
| 2014 | 72.31% | 27.69% |
| 2015 | 69.79% | 30.21% |
| 2016 | 71.25% | 28.75% |
| 2017 | 72.40% | 27.60% |
| 2018 | 72.05% | 27.95% |
| 2019 | 70.75% | 29.25% |
| 2020 | 72.99% | 27.01% |
| 2021 | 72.35% | 27.65% |
Machine operator related jobs gender ratio
We compared machine 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% |
| Machine Operator | 72% | 28% |
| Bucket Operator | 99% | 1% |
| Stone Cutter | 99% | 1% |
| Corrugator | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Machine operator demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among machine operators is White, which makes up 60.0% of all machine operators. Comparatively, 16.0% of machine operators are Hispanic or Latino and 12.0% of machine operators are Black or African American.
- White, 60.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 16.0%
- Black or African American, 12.0%
- Asian, 7.5%
- Unknown, 3.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
Machine operator race
| Machine operator race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 60.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.0% |
| Black or African American | 12.0% |
| Asian | 7.5% |
| Unknown | 3.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.1% |
Machine operator race and ethnicity over time
See how machine operator racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Machine operator race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 63.91% | 13.79% | 4.50% | 16.22% |
| 2011 | 62.60% | 13.96% | 5.44% | 16.26% |
| 2012 | 62.14% | 12.36% | 6.28% | 17.43% |
| 2013 | 63.59% | 13.62% | 5.40% | 15.37% |
| 2014 | 61.92% | 12.86% | 6.36% | 16.79% |
| 2015 | 63.85% | 12.70% | 6.35% | 14.99% |
| 2016 | 61.77% | 11.96% | 7.37% | 16.50% |
| 2017 | 62.48% | 12.30% | 7.09% | 15.54% |
| 2018 | 63.19% | 11.82% | 6.01% | 16.46% |
| 2019 | 65.00% | 12.20% | 6.41% | 14.00% |
| 2020 | 62.56% | 12.91% | 5.85% | 14.60% |
| 2021 | 59.98% | 11.95% | 7.49% | 15.96% |
Machine operator wage gap by race
According to our data, white machine operators have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown machine operators have the lowest average salary at $32,642.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $32,642 |
| White | $34,951 |
| Black or African American | $33,633 |
| Asian | $33,211 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $33,051 |
Average machine operator age
See how the average age of machine operators varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Machine 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 |
Machine operator age breakdown
The average age of machine operators is 40+ years years old, representing 64% of the machine operator population.
Machine operator age breakdown
| Machine Operator Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 64% |
| 30-40 years | 20% |
| 20-30 years | 15% |
Machine operator educational attainment
The most common degree for machine operators is high school diploma, with 53% of machine operators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 14%.
- High School Diploma, 53%
- Associate, 16%
- Diploma, 14%
- Bachelor's, 11%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Machine operators by degree level
| Machine operator degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 53% |
| Associate | 16% |
| Diploma | 14% |
| Bachelor's | 11% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Machine operator jobs you might like
Machine operator wage gap by degree level
According to the data, machine operators with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $33,934 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, machine operators earn a median annual income of $33,680 compared to $33,434 for machine operators with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $33,434 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $33,680 |
| No Education | $32,332 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $33,934 |
Machine operator employment statistics
Most machine operators work for a private in the manufacturing industry.
Company size where machine operators work
Below, you can see the size of companies where machine operators work.
Machine operator jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 3% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 6% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 11% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 34% |
| > 10,000 employees | 39% |
Machine operator jobs by company type
Employees with the machine operator job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most machine operators prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Machine operator jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 41% |
| Private | 58% |
| Government | 0% |
Machine operator jobs by industry
The most common industries for machine operators are manufacturing, professional and automotive.
Machine operator industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 35% |
| Fortune 500 | 15% |
| Professional | 10% |
| Automotive | 9% |
| Transportation | 5% |
| Retail | 4% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Machine operator turnover and employment statistics
Machine operator unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for machine operators between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Machine operator unemployment rate by year
| Year | Machine 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 machine operator tenure
The average machine operator stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 276,210 machine operators resumes in Zippia's database.
Machine operator tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 32% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 8% |
Machine operator LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of machine 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Substation Inspector | 4.47% | 16,861 |
| Machine Operator | 4.75% | - |
| Contact Lens Technician | 5.24% | 7,585 |
| Primer Inserting Machine Adjuster | 7.84% | 35,738 |
| Multiskill Operator | 8.41% | 27,869 |
| Print Shop Helper | 8.89% | 24,108 |
| Image Center Service Associate | 15.21% | 31,304 |
Similar machine operator jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Substation Inspector | 4.47% | 16,861 |
| Contact Lens Technician | 5.24% | 7,585 |
| Primer Inserting Machine Adjuster | 7.84% | 35,738 |
| Multiskill Operator | 8.41% | 27,869 |
| Print Shop Helper | 8.89% | 24,108 |
| Image Center Service Associate | 15.21% | 31,304 |
Foreign languages spoken by machine operators
The most common foreign language among machine operators is Spanish at 77.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 5.0% and Arabic is the third-most popular at 2.4%.
- Spanish, 77.3%
- French, 5.0%
- Arabic, 2.4%
- German, 2.2%
- Hmong, 2.0%
- Other, 11.1%
Machine operator languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 77.3% |
| French | 5.0% |
| Arabic | 2.4% |
| German | 2.2% |
| Hmong | 2.0% |
| Other | 11.1% |
