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The differences between press assistants and press operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a press assistant, becoming a press operator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a press operator has an average salary of $34,568, which is higher than the $33,732 average annual salary of a press assistant.
The top three skills for a press assistant include hand tools, preventative maintenance and safety policies. The most important skills for a press operator are quality standards, press machine, and quality checks.
| Press Assistant | Press Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $33,732 | $34,568 |
| Hourly rate | $16.22 | $16.62 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 5,056 | 55,215 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | High School Diploma, 51% |
| Average age | 48 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
Press assistants require physical fitness, stamina, and inventory management skills. Some of the job responsibilities consist of supervising and operating the press machine that produces newspapers, magazines, and books. Press assistants can be hired as consultants, or work for a specific agency, business, or individual.
A press operator is responsible for the maintenance of printing machines and other equipment to ensure smooth operations while meeting the clients' needs with the highest quality standards. Press operators duties' include performing troubleshooting, replacing defective machine components, upgrading the systems for efficiency, analyzing blueprints and instructional guides, determining product suitability, and inspecting irregularities before and after the use of press machines. Press operators must have a comprehensive knowledge of the mechanical industry and the ability to work under pressure and strict deadlines.
Press assistants and press operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Press Assistant | Press Operator | |
| Average salary | $33,732 | $34,568 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $42,000 | Between $27,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Leominster, MA | Westfield, MA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | CPI Card Group | ProAmpac |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a press assistant and a press operator in terms of educational background:
| Press Assistant | Press Operator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | High School Diploma, 51% |
| Most common major | Political Science | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between press assistants' and press operators' demographics:
| Press Assistant | Press Operator | |
| Average age | 48 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.0% Female, 23.0% | Male, 76.6% Female, 23.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 7.2% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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 | 5% | 3% |