Plastic machine operator vs general machine operator

The differences between plastic machine operators and general machine operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a general machine operator has an average salary of $32,414, which is higher than the $31,802 average annual salary of a plastic machine operator.

The top three skills for a plastic machine operator include quality checks, CNC and provide technical assistance. The most important skills for a general machine operator are math, CNC, and safety procedures.

Plastic machine operator vs general machine operator overview

	Plastic Machine Operator	General Machine Operator
Yearly salary	$31,802	$32,414
Hourly rate	$15.29	$15.58
Growth rate	-5%	7%
Number of jobs	58,108	138,111
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	45	44
Years of experience	-	-

Plastic machine operator vs general machine operator salary

Plastic machine operators and general machine operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Plastic Machine Operator	General Machine Operator
Average salary	$31,802	$32,414
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $40,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Vancouver, WA	Oshkosh, WI
Highest paying state	Alaska	Wisconsin
Best paying company	Dart Container	Reckitt Benckiser
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Finance

Differences between plastic machine operator and general machine operator education

There are a few differences between a plastic machine operator and a general machine operator in terms of educational background:

	Plastic Machine Operator	General Machine Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Plastic machine operator vs general machine operator demographics

Here are the differences between plastic machine operators' and general machine operators' demographics:

	Plastic Machine Operator	General Machine Operator
Average age	45	44
Gender ratio	Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9%	Male, 81.2% Female, 18.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.9% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 7.3% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	3%	5%

Differences between plastic machine operator and general machine operator duties and responsibilities

Plastic machine operator example responsibilities.

Assist in color die changes for use in maintaining plastic extrusion machines.
Operate pallet jacks and heavy machinery assembling bolts and nuts into car parts for Honda.
Record statistics on ISO documentation, and coordinate with machine technicians and electrical technicians to keep machines operating at maximum efficiency.
Participate in technical support and assist validation and QA department during equipment validation.

General machine operator example responsibilities.

Lift work pieces to machines using hoists.
Control & troubleshoot automate extrusion line adjusting speed & feed, monitoring temperature, & finish material specification per customers order.
Overlook daily operations of single/twin screw extruders and packaging of finish product.

Plastic machine operator vs general machine operator skills

Common plastic machine operator skills

Quality Checks, 19%
CNC, 12%
Provide Technical Assistance, 11%
Mold Components, 9%
Lean Manufacturing, 8%
Safety Procedures, 6%

Common general machine operator skills

Math, 12%
CNC, 10%
Safety Procedures, 10%
Troubleshoot, 9%
Production Process, 8%
Machine Operation, 6%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Plastic Machine Operator
Plastic Machine Operator vs General Machine Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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