Plastic machine operator vs machine set up operator

The differences between plastic machine operators and machine set up operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a machine set up operator has an average salary of $35,823, 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 machine set up operator are cnc machines, calipers, and micrometers.

Plastic machine operator vs machine set up operator overview

	Plastic Machine Operator	Machine Set Up Operator
Yearly salary	$31,802	$35,823
Hourly rate	$15.29	$17.22
Growth rate	-5%	-8%
Number of jobs	58,108	61,986
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	45	43
Years of experience	-	2

Plastic machine operator vs machine set up operator salary

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

	Plastic Machine Operator	Machine Set Up Operator
Average salary	$31,802	$35,823
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $40,000	Between $28,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	Vancouver, WA	Holyoke, MA
Highest paying state	Alaska	California
Best paying company	Dart Container	ABB
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Automotive

Differences between plastic machine operator and machine set up operator education

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

	Plastic Machine Operator	Machine Set Up Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Plastic machine operator vs machine set up operator demographics

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

	Plastic Machine Operator	Machine Set Up Operator
Average age	45	43
Gender ratio	Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9%	Male, 86.5% Female, 13.5%
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, 4.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.0% White, 68.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	3%	6%

Differences between plastic machine operator and machine set up 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.

Machine set up operator example responsibilities.

Perform trial runs on new CNC programs, working with programming and tooling to achieve satisfactory parts.
Used micrometers and calipers to determine require tolerances.
Follow ISO and QS standard operating procedures.
Panel control, fanuc control, & dynapath.
Run machines after setup, inspect parts run.
Work on CNC OKUMA machines, horizontals and verticals.

Plastic machine operator vs machine set up 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 machine set up operator skills

CNC Machines, 13%
Calipers, 10%
Micrometers, 9%
CNC Lathes, 6%
Quality Checks, 5%
Math, 5%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Plastic Machine Operator
Plastic Machine Operator vs Machine Set Up Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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