Polishing machine operator vs laser operator

The differences between polishing machine operators and laser 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 polishing machine operator and a laser operator. Additionally, a laser operator has an average salary of $34,813, which is higher than the $33,810 average annual salary of a polishing machine operator.

The top three skills for a polishing machine operator include safety policies, grinding wheels and machine operation. The most important skills for a laser operator are laser cutting, calipers, and laser machine.

Polishing machine operator vs laser operator overview

	Polishing Machine Operator	Laser Operator
Yearly salary	$33,810	$34,813
Hourly rate	$16.25	$16.74
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	58,159	56,479
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Polishing machine operator vs laser operator salary

Polishing machine operators and laser operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Polishing Machine Operator	Laser Operator
Average salary	$33,810	$34,813
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $43,000	Between $27,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	-	Oregon City, OR
Highest paying state	-	Oregon
Best paying company	-	Kloeckner Metals
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between polishing machine operator and laser operator education

There are a few differences between a polishing machine operator and a laser operator in terms of educational background:

	Polishing Machine Operator	Laser Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Polishing machine operator vs laser operator demographics

Here are the differences between polishing machine operators' and laser operators' demographics:

	Polishing Machine Operator	Laser Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1%	Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 6.0% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	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	6%	6%

Differences between polishing machine operator and laser operator duties and responsibilities

Polishing machine operator example responsibilities.

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.

Laser operator example responsibilities.

Calculate requirements, using basic math, geometry.
Follow and comply to GMP, FDA, and ISO regulations
Uphold all ISO and OSHA standards applicable to the responsibilities list above.
Complete SPC charts to track tool capability and hold tight tolerances on small parts.
Used micrometers and protractors to check dimension and angle of part during all job set ups and quality control checks.
Perform quality control inspection using calipers/gauges/micrometers and digital comparators.

Polishing machine operator vs laser operator skills

Common polishing machine operator skills

Safety Policies, 41%
Grinding Wheels, 18%
Machine Operation, 16%
Safety Standards, 11%
Stainless Steel, 6%
Load Trucks, 3%

Common laser operator skills

Laser Cutting, 13%
Calipers, 8%
Laser Machine, 7%
Math, 6%
Hand Tools, 5%
CNC Laser, 4%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Polishing Machine Operator
Polishing Machine Operator vs Laser Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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