Owner vs operator

The differences between owners and operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become an owner, becoming an operator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an owner has an average salary of $90,334, which is higher than the $37,928 average annual salary of an operator.

The top three skills for an owner include customer service, payroll and financial statements. The most important skills for an operator are safety procedures, CDL, and emergency calls.

Owner vs operator overview

	Owner	Operator
Yearly salary	$90,334	$37,928
Hourly rate	$43.43	$18.23
Growth rate	6%	7%
Number of jobs	86,486	159,077
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	52	43
Years of experience	-	4

What does an owner do?

Owners, in the most basic sense, own the business, company, or organization. They are responsible for building the business. They create business plans and the general vision and mission of the company, set goals, work on these goals, and ensure that the business keeps running. They manage all aspects of their business, from finances to marketing to people, etc. When the business becomes stable, owners eventually hire more employees. As such, owners also become overseers who would ensure that the organization remains afloat.

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.

Owner vs operator salary

Owners and operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Owner	Operator
Average salary	$90,334	$37,928
Salary range	Between $60,000 And $135,000	Between $27,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	North Dakota
Best paying company	BP America Inc	Microsoft
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between owner and operator education

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

	Owner	Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Owner vs operator demographics

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

	Owner	Operator
Average age	52	43
Gender ratio	Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9%	Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 7.5% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black 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%
LGBT Percentage	12%	4%

Differences between owner and operator duties and responsibilities

Owner example responsibilities.

Manage web content and a PHP / MySQL application.
Create and develop a website to help clients easily manage their instagram account to gain exposure.
Execute all social media marketing and manage the company Facebook page/campaigns.
Manage human resource functions by generating payroll, scheduling and upholding company policies.
License Maryland home improvement contractor managing a small home improvement business that specializes in doors and windows.
Manage end to end business operations including hiring, scheduling visits, conducting customer consultations and performing pet visits.

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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.

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Owner vs operator skills

Common owner skills

Customer Service, 25%
Payroll, 17%
Financial Statements, 8%
Product Development, 7%
Real Estate, 3%
Business Development, 3%

Common operator skills

Safety Procedures, 15%
CDL, 6%
Emergency Calls, 6%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%
Quality Checks, 4%
Dozer, 4%

Owner vs. similar jobs

Owner related careers

Owner related jobs

Owner jobs by location

Updated January 8, 2025

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