Plastic press operator vs hydraulic press operator

The differences between plastic press operators and hydraulic press 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 hydraulic press operator. Additionally, a hydraulic press operator has an average salary of $32,065, 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 hydraulic press operator are hand tools, calipers, and PPE.

Plastic press operator vs hydraulic press operator overview

	Plastic Press Operator	Hydraulic Press Operator
Yearly salary	$30,936	$32,065
Hourly rate	$14.87	$15.42
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	40,574	44,760
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 56%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

Plastic press operator vs hydraulic press operator salary

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

	Plastic Press Operator	Hydraulic Press Operator
Average salary	$30,936	$32,065
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $38,000	Between $26,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between plastic press operator and hydraulic press operator education

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

	Plastic Press Operator	Hydraulic Press Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 56%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Plastic press operator vs hydraulic press operator demographics

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

	Plastic Press Operator	Hydraulic Press Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 71.0% Female, 29.0%	Male, 90.1% Female, 9.9%
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 hydraulic press 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.

Hydraulic press operator example responsibilities.

Perform pressure and travel setting adjustments by CNC controls.
Weld using spot, mig, and arc welders.
Operate a hydraulic bender, cold steel press/punch, and MIG welder.
Train in confine space, micrometers, calipers, and handling of hazardous waste and chemicals.
Maintain strict quality requirements using scales, calipers and micrometers.
Press operator on misc multicolore Heidelberg and Komori presses

Plastic press operator vs hydraulic press 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 hydraulic press operator skills

Hand Tools, 52%
Calipers, 22%
PPE, 9%
CNC, 7%
Assembly Line, 4%
Quality Checks, 4%

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Plastic Press Operator
Plastic Press Operator vs Hydraulic Press Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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