Plastic press operator vs brake operator

The differences between plastic press operators and brake operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a plastic press operator and a brake operator. Additionally, a brake operator has an average salary of $38,911, which is higher than the $30,936 average annual salary of a plastic press operator.

The top three skills for a plastic press operator include hand tools, calipers and quality products. The most important skills for a brake operator are calipers, basic math, and tape measure.

Plastic press operator vs brake operator overview

	Plastic Press Operator	Brake Operator
Yearly salary	$30,936	$38,911
Hourly rate	$14.87	$18.71
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	40,574	46,164
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

Plastic press operator vs brake operator salary

Plastic press operators and brake operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Plastic Press Operator	Brake Operator
Average salary	$30,936	$38,911
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $38,000	Between $30,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between plastic press operator and brake operator education

There are a few differences between a plastic press operator and a brake operator in terms of educational background:

	Plastic Press Operator	Brake Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Plastic press operator vs brake operator demographics

Here are the differences between plastic press operators' and brake operators' demographics:

	Plastic Press Operator	Brake Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 71.0% Female, 29.0%	Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 1.7% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 1.7% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between plastic press operator and brake operator duties and responsibilities

Plastic press operator example responsibilities.

Measure thickness of material with calipers and micrometers while sanding to keep material within allowable tolerances.
Operate an extrusion press which produce aluminum products.

Brake operator example responsibilities.

Experience using micrometers, squares, calipers and protractors.
Perform light mig and tig welding and metal refinishing.
Align motor, air end and coupling using calipers, dial indicators and straight edges.
Operate brake press to meet OE specifications.
Perform basic troubleshooting of extrusion machinery and plastics processes.
Measure part angle with protractor, flange length with measureing tape and material thickness with micrometer.

Plastic press operator vs brake operator skills

Common plastic press operator skills

Hand Tools, 37%
Calipers, 31%
Quality Products, 19%
Machine Operation, 8%
Quality Checks, 2%
Press Machine, 1%

Common brake operator skills

Calipers, 15%
Basic Math, 14%
Tape Measure, 12%
Hand Tools, 10%
Pallets, 6%
Read Blueprints, 6%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Plastic Press Operator
Plastic Press Operator vs Brake Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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