Pharmaceutical operator vs line operator

The differences between pharmaceutical operators and line operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pharmaceutical operator has an average salary of $38,260, which is higher than the $34,520 average annual salary of a line operator.

The top three skills for a pharmaceutical operator include FDA, GMP and safety procedures. The most important skills for a line operator are preventative maintenance, PPE, and basic math.

Pharmaceutical operator vs line operator overview

	Pharmaceutical Operator	Line Operator
Yearly salary	$38,260	$34,520
Hourly rate	$18.39	$16.60
Growth rate	-	7%
Number of jobs	54,270	137,127
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Pharmaceutical operator vs line operator salary

Pharmaceutical operators and line operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pharmaceutical Operator	Line Operator
Average salary	$38,260	$34,520
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $49,000	Between $27,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	-	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	BD
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between pharmaceutical operator and line operator education

There are a few differences between a pharmaceutical operator and a line operator in terms of educational background:

	Pharmaceutical Operator	Line Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	High School Diploma, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Pharmaceutical operator vs line operator demographics

Here are the differences between pharmaceutical operators' and line operators' demographics:

	Pharmaceutical Operator	Line Operator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 66.6% Female, 33.4%	Male, 67.6% Female, 32.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 27.2% Asian, 6.3% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between pharmaceutical operator and line operator duties and responsibilities

Pharmaceutical operator example responsibilities.

Manage the receipt and tracking of control substances as well as the DEA biennial inspection.
Perform a variety of highly skil manufacturing tasks involving the processing of pharmaceutical products in a GMP control facility.
Request QA approvals and releases.
Comply with safety by wearing appropriate PPE.
Partner with in-house workers on PLC issues relate to machinery.
Compress various pharmaceutical granulations into tablets meeting all FDA specifications.

Line operator example responsibilities.

Follow safety procedures, including but not limit to, wearing proper PPE, lock-out/tag-out, and HAZMAT.
Weld various models of Honda car seats.
Operate foam line for assembly of Toyota Tacoma car seats.
Work the assembly line building car door frames for Chrysler.
Work in high volume production setting, sewing seat covers for Toyota vehicles.
Wear all PPE while manually draining and cleaning of all dip tanks and stations after shift or when production quality lessen.

Pharmaceutical operator vs line operator skills

Common pharmaceutical operator skills

FDA, 25%
GMP, 20%
Safety Procedures, 9%
Line Clearance, 6%
Pharmaceutical Products, 6%
QA, 5%

Common line operator skills

Preventative Maintenance, 12%
PPE, 9%
Basic Math, 9%
Extrusion, 8%
Quality Checks, 7%
Assembly Line, 5%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Pharmaceutical Operator
Pharmaceutical Operator vs Line Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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