Plastic extrusion operator vs extruder operator

The differences between plastic extrusion operators and extruder operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a plastic extrusion operator has an average salary of $38,941, which is higher than the $36,707 average annual salary of an extruder operator.

The top three skills for a plastic extrusion operator include extrusion, hand tools and air pressure. The most important skills for an extruder operator are extrusion, quality checks, and hand tools.

Plastic extrusion operator vs extruder operator overview

	Plastic Extrusion Operator	Extruder Operator
Yearly salary	$38,941	$36,707
Hourly rate	$18.72	$17.65
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	30,301	66,729
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	High School Diploma, 52%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	-

Plastic extrusion operator vs extruder operator salary

Plastic extrusion operators and extruder operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Plastic Extrusion Operator	Extruder Operator
Average salary	$38,941	$36,707
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $48,000	Between $29,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	-	Woburn, MA
Highest paying state	-	New Hampshire
Best paying company	-	Baker Hughes
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between plastic extrusion operator and extruder operator education

There are a few differences between a plastic extrusion operator and an extruder operator in terms of educational background:

	Plastic Extrusion Operator	Extruder Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	High School Diploma, 52%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Plastic extrusion operator vs extruder operator demographics

Here are the differences between plastic extrusion operators' and extruder operators' demographics:

	Plastic Extrusion Operator	Extruder Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2%	Male, 89.6% Female, 10.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 2.3% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 2.3% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between plastic extrusion operator and extruder operator duties and responsibilities

Plastic extrusion operator example responsibilities.

Manage the levels of chemicals to make sure process run correctly for making Styrofoam.
Load extruders mixers, mix color concentrates maintain color tolerances in the lab.
Verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, rulers.
Conduct tests at regular intervals using calipers, scales, and other devices to insure the part's integrity.
Perform machine setup and operate extrusion machines as well as material handling equipment
Participate in any engineering orders, samples or prototypes manufacture on any of the plastics extrusion machinery.

Extruder operator example responsibilities.

Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Preform preventative maintenance, troubleshooting, and adjustment/modification of extrusion processes as necessary to maintain production standards.
Doff lines, check and QA materials.
Train other operators on SPC and process improvements.
Operate extruder, vast knowledge in ISO, quality inspection.
Inspect cable in process for resistivity and wall thickness, document on SPC charts.

Plastic extrusion operator vs extruder operator skills

Common plastic extrusion operator skills

Extrusion, 45%
Hand Tools, 24%
Air Pressure, 8%
Calipers, 8%
Production Data, 2%
Extruders, 2%

Common extruder operator skills

Extrusion, 13%
Quality Checks, 7%
Hand Tools, 7%
Extruders, 6%
Math, 5%
Safety Standards, 5%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Plastic Extrusion Operator
Plastic Extrusion Operator vs Extruder Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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