Pickling operator vs line operator

The differences between pickling operators and line operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pickling operator has an average salary of $36,148, which is higher than the $34,520 average annual salary of a line operator.

The top three skills for a pickling operator include etch, and . The most important skills for a line operator are preventative maintenance, PPE, and basic math.

Pickling operator vs line operator overview

	Pickling Operator	Line Operator
Yearly salary	$36,148	$34,520
Hourly rate	$17.38	$16.60
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	26,122	137,127
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 43%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	43	44
Years of experience	-	-

Pickling operator vs line operator salary

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

	Pickling Operator	Line Operator
Average salary	$36,148	$34,520
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $53,000	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 pickling operator and line operator education

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

	Pickling Operator	Line Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 43%	High School Diploma, 49%
Most common major	Biology	Business
Most common college	-	-

Pickling operator vs line operator demographics

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

	Pickling Operator	Line Operator
Average age	43	44
Gender ratio	Male, 93.5% Female, 6.5%	Male, 67.6% Female, 32.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 5.6% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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 pickling operator and line operator duties and responsibilities

Pickling operator example responsibilities.

Clamp sheets and put them in a vat of hydroflouric acid solution until desire thickness is achieved.
Manage aluminum structural/pipe fabrication turnaround: cross-country CGIT/IPB megawatt electrical power conductors.
Perform preventive maintenance, electronic robotic operation, pneumatic system operation, and initial quality control.
Maintain and organize production log books, charts and batch records according to industry standards and FDA regulations.

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.

Pickling operator vs line operator skills

Common pickling operator skills

Etch, 100%

Common line operator skills

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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