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Operator vs cell operator

The differences between operators and cell operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an operator has an average salary of $37,928, which is higher than the $37,866 average annual salary of a cell operator.

The top three skills for an operator include safety procedures, CDL and emergency calls. The most important skills for a cell operator are hand tools, math, and quality standards.

Operator vs cell operator overview

OperatorCell Operator
Yearly salary$37,928$37,866
Hourly rate$18.23$18.20
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs159,07766,532
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 40%High School Diploma, 41%
Average age4343
Years of experience4-

What does an operator do?

Operators are skilled workers who are in charge of working on an industrial machine or a specific aspect of the manufacturing business. They are trained to operate machines, learning how to use them. They are also responsible for the maintenance and repair of the machine, and they should be able to troubleshoot problems and provide remedies to them. They must be knowledgeable about the different parts of the machine and how to mitigate any challenges that may arise. Operators should be alert, detail-oriented, and familiar with safety and health guidelines.

What does a cell operator do?

A Cell Operator is someone who handles a production cell in a company or factory. This position ensures that a cell unit of the production functions properly and efficiently. The position also does other miscellaneous tasks related to production, such as inspection, sorting, and other assembly operations, depending on the type of company, business, or manufactured product. This person generally has strong organizational and problem-solving skills and has a knack for troubleshooting.

Operator vs cell operator salary

Operators and cell operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

OperatorCell Operator
Average salary$37,928$37,866
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $53,000Between $31,000 And $45,000
Highest paying CitySan Jose, CABothell, WA
Highest paying stateNorth DakotaWashington
Best paying companyMicrosoftCummins
Best paying industryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between operator and cell operator education

There are a few differences between an operator and a cell operator in terms of educational background:

OperatorCell Operator
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 40%High School Diploma, 41%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Operator vs cell operator demographics

Here are the differences between operators' and cell operators' demographics:

OperatorCell Operator
Average age4343
Gender ratioMale, 73.0% Female, 27.0%Male, 68.8% Female, 31.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 16.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 7.6% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage4%5%

Differences between operator and cell operator duties and responsibilities

Operator example responsibilities.

  • Assist in developing the company s short and long term training plans and managing yearly ammunition allocation.
  • Assist and manage the extrusion process of polyester raw material in pellet or chip form to produce finish rolls of plastic.
  • Manage day-to-day transportation and logistics services for multinational account base.
  • Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
  • Job require basic math skills: fractions and decimals.
  • Ensure safety of all equipment during production in compliance with strict OSHA and safety regulations.
  • Show more

Cell operator example responsibilities.

  • Work with QC on parts.
  • Capture torque data for SPC charts.
  • Read and implement PC (product criteria).
  • Work with engineering to make specialty repair parts for hoists.
  • Adjust CNC machines as needed to ensure that parts are made to spec.
  • Assist in editing CNC programs and develop new part setups and tooling while working closely with manufacturing engineers.
  • Show more

Operator vs cell operator skills

Common operator skills
  • Safety Procedures, 15%
  • CDL, 6%
  • Emergency Calls, 6%
  • Preventative Maintenance, 4%
  • Quality Checks, 4%
  • Dozer, 4%
Common cell operator skills
  • Hand Tools, 12%
  • Math, 10%
  • Quality Standards, 8%
  • CNC, 8%
  • Calipers, 7%
  • Micrometers, 6%

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