Plastic process technician vs molder operator

The differences between plastic process technicians and molder operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a plastic process technician has an average salary of $47,034, which is higher than the $31,707 average annual salary of a molder operator.

The top three skills for a plastic process technician include plastic injection, process changes and lean manufacturing. The most important skills for a molder operator are GMP, quality checks, and dexterity.

Plastic process technician vs molder operator overview

	Plastic Process Technician	Molder Operator
Yearly salary	$47,034	$31,707
Hourly rate	$22.61	$15.24
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	29,311	66,217
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	High School Diploma, 51%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	-	-

Plastic process technician vs molder operator salary

Plastic process technicians and molder operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Plastic Process Technician	Molder Operator
Average salary	$47,034	$31,707
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $61,000	Between $26,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	-	Milford, CT
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	BD
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between plastic process technician and molder operator education

There are a few differences between a plastic process technician and a molder operator in terms of educational background:

	Plastic Process Technician	Molder Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	High School Diploma, 51%
Most common major	Plastics Engineering	Business
Most common college	-	-

Plastic process technician vs molder operator demographics

Here are the differences between plastic process technicians' and molder operators' demographics:

	Plastic Process Technician	Molder Operator
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 89.6% Female, 10.4%	Male, 66.6% Female, 33.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 7.7% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 7.3% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between plastic process technician and molder operator duties and responsibilities

Plastic process technician example responsibilities.

Manage utilization of LOTO procedures, GMP standards and OSHA safety standards.
Utilize basic laboratory procedures and sterilization techniques and receive training in OSHA rules and regulations.
Manufacture air bags in the only Nike facility in the world that focuses on air bags for shoes.

Molder operator example responsibilities.

Require molding expect rate of part producing and achieving ISO QualityStandards.
Mold canoes and kayaks also flash them.
Handle all the chemicals alone with proper PPE.
Certify to run both a bobcat and forklift.
Mold plastic casting of kayaks after pop out the oven.
Work on mold presses, extrusion line making material to be mold into parts.

Plastic process technician vs molder operator skills

Common plastic process technician skills

Plastic Injection, 15%
Process Changes, 12%
Lean Manufacturing, 10%
Quality Issues, 9%
SPC, 8%
QA, 7%

Common molder operator skills

GMP, 10%
Quality Checks, 8%
Dexterity, 8%
Troubleshoot, 7%
Quality Standards, 7%
Basic Math, 6%

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Plastic Process Technician
Plastic Process Technician vs Molder Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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