Plastic machine operator vs welder-machine operator

The differences between plastic machine operators and welder-machine operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a welder-machine operator has an average salary of $37,171, 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 welder-machine operator are arc welding, safety equipment, and stainless steel.

Plastic machine operator vs welder-machine operator overview

	Plastic Machine Operator	Welder-Machine Operator
Yearly salary	$31,802	$37,171
Hourly rate	$15.29	$17.87
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	58,108	68,316
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	45	40
Years of experience	-	6

Plastic machine operator vs welder-machine operator salary

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

	Plastic Machine Operator	Welder-Machine Operator
Average salary	$31,802	$37,171
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $40,000	Between $27,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Vancouver, WA	Fontana, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Nevada
Best paying company	Dart Container	BWX Technologies
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Technology

Differences between plastic machine operator and welder-machine operator education

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

	Plastic Machine Operator	Welder-Machine Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	Dunwoody College of Technology

Plastic machine operator vs welder-machine operator demographics

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

	Plastic Machine Operator	Welder-Machine Operator
Average age	45	40
Gender ratio	Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9%	Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4%
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, 11.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between plastic machine operator and welder-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.

Welder-machine operator example responsibilities.

Weld required parts using GMAW, GTAW, and SMAW.
Require to weld a wide veriety of assemblies, fabricate parts and maintain equipment and fixtures employing GMAW and GTAW techniques.
Operate the welding robots and do rework with the MIG welder.
Weld both steel and aluminum pressure tanks for both train and truck air brake systems.
Dismantle metal assemblies and cut scrap metal, using thermal-cutting equipment such as flame-cutting torches or plasma-arc equipment.
Position, align, fit, and weld together parts, using jigs, welding torch, and hand tools.

Plastic machine operator vs welder-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 welder-machine operator skills

Arc Welding, 7%
Safety Equipment, 7%
Stainless Steel, 6%
CNC, 6%
Tig Welding, 5%
Tape Measure, 5%

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Plastic Machine Operator
Plastic Machine Operator vs Welder-Machine Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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