Machine set up operator vs set up technician

The differences between machine set up operators and set up technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a machine set up operator and a set up technician. Additionally, a set up technician has an average salary of $36,486, which is higher than the $35,823 average annual salary of a machine set up operator.

The top three skills for a machine set up operator include cnc machines, calipers and micrometers. The most important skills for a set up technician are hand tools, CNC, and safety procedures.

Machine set up operator vs set up technician overview

	Machine Set Up Operator	Set Up Technician
Yearly salary	$35,823	$36,486
Hourly rate	$17.22	$17.54
Growth rate	-8%	10%
Number of jobs	61,986	53,072
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 49%	High School Diploma, 39%
Average age	43	42
Years of experience	2	2

Machine set up operator vs set up technician salary

Machine set up operators and set up technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Machine Set Up Operator	Set Up Technician
Average salary	$35,823	$36,486
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $45,000	Between $28,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	Holyoke, MA	Manchester, NH
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	ABB	Zoetis
Best paying industry	Automotive	Professional

Differences between machine set up operator and set up technician education

There are a few differences between a machine set up operator and a set up technician in terms of educational background:

	Machine Set Up Operator	Set Up Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 49%	High School Diploma, 39%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Machine set up operator vs set up technician demographics

Here are the differences between machine set up operators' and set up technicians' demographics:

	Machine Set Up Operator	Set Up Technician
Average age	43	42
Gender ratio	Male, 86.5% Female, 13.5%	Male, 90.1% Female, 9.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.0% White, 68.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 8.9% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	6%	11%

Differences between machine set up operator and set up technician duties and responsibilities

Machine set up operator example responsibilities.

Perform trial runs on new CNC programs, working with programming and tooling to achieve satisfactory parts.
Used micrometers and calipers to determine require tolerances.
Follow ISO and QS standard operating procedures.
Panel control, fanuc control, & dynapath.
Run machines after setup, inspect parts run.
Work on CNC OKUMA machines, horizontals and verticals.

Set up technician example responsibilities.

Manage daily scheduling of production workload to be setup and run on machinery.
Follow OSHA, ISO, and FDA requirement and standards
Core team member in SPC and QSI introductions.
Set up machine and facilities for UV screen coating.
Maintain running UV press, flip paper, unload orders.
Set up and maintain extrusion equipment to run at maximum efficiency.

Machine set up operator vs set up technician skills

Common machine set up operator skills

CNC Machines, 13%
Calipers, 10%
Micrometers, 9%
CNC Lathes, 6%
Quality Checks, 5%
Math, 5%

Common set up technician skills

Hand Tools, 8%
CNC, 6%
Safety Procedures, 5%
Quality Standards, 5%
Preventative Maintenance, 5%
Math, 4%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Machine Set Up Operator
Machine Set Up Operator vs Set Up Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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