Melter vs smelter operator

The differences between melters and smelter operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a melter has an average salary of $35,164, which is higher than the $32,894 average annual salary of a smelter operator.

The top three skills for a melter include BARS, safety regulations and cranes. The most important skills for a smelter operator are smelting, control room, and end loaders.

Melter vs smelter operator overview

	Melter	Smelter Operator
Yearly salary	$35,164	$32,894
Hourly rate	$16.91	$15.81
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	302	26,336
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 65%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Melter vs smelter operator salary

Melters and smelter operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Melter	Smelter Operator
Average salary	$35,164	$32,894
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $45,000	Between $25,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between melter and smelter operator education

There are a few differences between a melter and a smelter operator in terms of educational background:

	Melter	Smelter Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 65%
Most common major	General Studies	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Melter vs smelter operator demographics

Here are the differences between melters' and smelter operators' demographics:

	Melter	Smelter Operator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 98.1% Female, 1.9%	Male, 95.5% Female, 4.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 3.3% White, 63.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 2.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between melter and smelter operator duties and responsibilities

Melter example responsibilities.

Conduct quality SPC random spot checks and manage department personnel.
Operate and monitor process for coating machine from control room.
Sample and alloy molten aluminum to customer specifications.
Alloy control include security, storage, shipping, and inventory.
Train workers in foundry processes and in operation of various machines and equipment.
Melt shop supervisor, coordinate chemistry, alloy input, shipping and receiving scrap.

Smelter operator example responsibilities.

Manage work and heater logs, overtime budget, project delegation and PPE gear inventory.
Demonstrate ability to troubleshoot creatively, solve problems effectively, and make inform decisions while successfully guiding others through constant change.
Assist in the process of extracting CO2 gas from molten copper ore.

Melter vs smelter operator skills

Common melter skills

BARS, 39%
Safety Regulations, 14%
Cranes, 13%
Torches, 8%
AOD, 5%
Transport Materials, 5%

Common smelter operator skills

Smelting, 52%
Control Room, 28%
End Loaders, 13%
Fork-Lift, 7%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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