Operator trainee vs general machine operator

The differences between operators trainee and general machine operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an operator trainee has an average salary of $36,978, which is higher than the $32,414 average annual salary of a general machine operator.

The top three skills for an operator trainee include customer service, hand tools and CDL. The most important skills for a general machine operator are math, CNC, and safety procedures.

Operator trainee vs general machine operator overview

	Operator Trainee	General Machine Operator
Yearly salary	$36,978	$32,414
Hourly rate	$17.78	$15.58
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	73,657	138,111
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Operator trainee vs general machine operator salary

Operators trainee and general machine operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Operator Trainee	General Machine Operator
Average salary	$36,978	$32,414
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $45,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Middletown, CT	Oshkosh, WI
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Wisconsin
Best paying company	IBM	Reckitt Benckiser
Best paying industry	Energy	Finance

Differences between operator trainee and general machine operator education

There are a few differences between an operator trainee and a general machine operator in terms of educational background:

	Operator Trainee	General Machine Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Operator trainee vs general machine operator demographics

Here are the differences between operators trainee' and general machine operators' demographics:

	Operator Trainee	General Machine Operator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 77.5% Female, 22.5%	Male, 81.2% Female, 18.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 9.3% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 7.3% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between operator trainee and general machine operator duties and responsibilities

Operator trainee example responsibilities.

Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Operate valves, pumps and extruders.
Work oilfield operations as a Jr.
Perform LOTO on process equipment and piping.
Work with PLC technician on solving PLC issues.
Assist crew workers with laying asphalt and smoothing asphalt out.

General machine operator example responsibilities.

Lift work pieces to machines using hoists.
Control & troubleshoot automate extrusion line adjusting speed & feed, monitoring temperature, & finish material specification per customers order.
Overlook daily operations of single/twin screw extruders and packaging of finish product.

Operator trainee vs general machine operator skills

Common operator trainee skills

Customer Service, 19%
Hand Tools, 15%
CDL, 11%
DOT, 5%
Minor Maintenance, 4%
Hazardous Materials, 4%

Common general machine operator skills

Math, 12%
CNC, 10%
Safety Procedures, 10%
Troubleshoot, 9%
Production Process, 8%
Machine Operation, 6%

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Operator Trainee
Operator Trainee vs General Machine Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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