Peripheral equipment operator vs computer operator

The differences between peripheral equipment operators and computer operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a peripheral equipment operator and a computer operator. Additionally, a computer operator has an average salary of $42,722, which is higher than the $33,885 average annual salary of a peripheral equipment operator.

The top three skills for a peripheral equipment operator include quality standards, peripheral devices and laser printers. The most important skills for a computer operator are CAD, customer service, and computer system.

Peripheral equipment operator vs computer operator overview

	Peripheral Equipment Operator	Computer Operator
Yearly salary	$33,885	$42,722
Hourly rate	$16.29	$20.54
Growth rate	5%	10%
Number of jobs	40,530	39,579
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Peripheral equipment operator vs computer operator salary

Peripheral equipment operators and computer operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Peripheral Equipment Operator	Computer Operator
Average salary	$33,885	$42,722
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $40,000	Between $28,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	NTT Data International L.L.C.
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between peripheral equipment operator and computer operator education

There are a few differences between a peripheral equipment operator and a computer operator in terms of educational background:

	Peripheral Equipment Operator	Computer Operator
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Business	Computer Science
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Peripheral equipment operator vs computer operator demographics

Here are the differences between peripheral equipment operators' and computer operators' demographics:

	Peripheral Equipment Operator	Computer Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 67.4% Female, 32.6%	Male, 66.0% Female, 34.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 12.3% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 12.3% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between peripheral equipment operator and computer operator duties and responsibilities

Peripheral equipment operator example responsibilities.

Perform JCL maintenance when necessary, including the changing of parameter cards.
Monitor system activities, assist in IPL's, operation and maintenance of I/O devices.
Test micro fiche printers for quality and production, plus troubleshoot and repair any problems they may have.
Perform tape maintenance and effectively troubleshoot with reject or defective media.
Addressed undocument anomalies in infrastructure systems using skills and experience to research and isolate issues while escalating issues appropriately as necessary.
Train new console operators on new Honeywell security system.

Computer operator example responsibilities.

Manage and control administration on DoD local, and wide area networks.
Manage peripheral operations of BARR systems (PC base RJE workstations), storage devices, and Litton laser printers.
Manage certificate revocation list, update expired certificates, ensuring DMS availability.
Manage multi-person team providing operational and investigative support to USAF and DoD counterparts.
Perform operator tasks, troubleshoot IMS, hardware, and system problems.
Serve in computer operations in supporting mainframe MVS, TPF, and VM operating systems.

Peripheral equipment operator vs computer operator skills

Common peripheral equipment operator skills

Quality Standards, 43%
Peripheral Devices, 18%
Laser Printers, 14%
Equipment Maintenance, 9%
Xerox, 3%
Console Messages, 3%

Common computer operator skills

CAD, 18%
Customer Service, 10%
Computer System, 9%
IBM Mainframe, 6%
Laser Printers, 4%
Unix, 4%

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Peripheral Equipment Operator
Peripheral Equipment Operator vs Computer Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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