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Machine shop worker vs production employee

The differences between machine shop workers and production employees can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a production employee has an average salary of $32,872, which is higher than the $30,548 average annual salary of a machine shop worker.

The top three skills for a machine shop worker include machine shop, hand tools and calipers. The most important skills for a production employee are production floor, quality standards, and safety standards.

Machine shop worker vs production employee overview

Machine Shop WorkerProduction Employee
Yearly salary$30,548$32,872
Hourly rate$14.69$15.80
Growth rate-5%-
Number of jobs60,73675,730
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 41%High School Diploma, 34%
Average age4343
Years of experience--

Machine shop worker vs production employee salary

Machine shop workers and production employees have different pay scales, as shown below.

Machine Shop WorkerProduction Employee
Average salary$30,548$32,872
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $38,000Between $25,000 And $42,000
Highest paying CityBothell, WACleveland, OH
Highest paying stateWashingtonMinnesota
Best paying companyPrecision CastpartsSteel Dynamics
Best paying industryAutomotiveAutomotive

Differences between machine shop worker and production employee education

There are a few differences between a machine shop worker and a production employee in terms of educational background:

Machine Shop WorkerProduction Employee
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 41%High School Diploma, 34%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Machine shop worker vs production employee demographics

Here are the differences between machine shop workers' and production employees' demographics:

Machine Shop WorkerProduction Employee
Average age4343
Gender ratioMale, 91.1% Female, 8.9%Male, 69.6% Female, 30.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 8.3% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 7.9% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between machine shop worker and production employee duties and responsibilities

Machine shop worker example responsibilities.

  • Perform tig, mig, and spot welding.
  • Perform machine work involving the use of drill press, grinders, power saws, fork lifts and Bridgeport.
  • Perform MIG welding on light gauge materials.
  • Operate heavy duty saws, threading machines, drills, and grinders.
  • Construct automated and structural equipment for companies using primarily aluminum extrusion.
  • Provide quality product, meeting JIT schedules to the assembly plants, on time and in full.

Production employee example responsibilities.

  • Accomplish collating training for revisions and charts.
  • Handle set up and operation of CNC mills and lathes for production.
  • Machine (CNC) axle shafts from a raw forging state to a finish product ready for final assembly.
  • Execute production activities as directed by supervisor, including performing GMP cell culture of biologic products using closed-system device.
  • Coordinate and participate in Kaizen cost improvement activities.

Machine shop worker vs production employee skills

Common machine shop worker skills
  • Machine Shop, 31%
  • Hand Tools, 27%
  • Calipers, 12%
  • Grinders, 10%
  • Safety Guidelines, 5%
  • Lathe Machines, 3%
Common production employee skills
  • Production Floor, 25%
  • Quality Standards, 16%
  • Safety Standards, 13%
  • Work Ethic, 8%
  • Production Process, 6%
  • HACCP, 4%

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