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The differences between printer operators and operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a printer operator and an operator. Additionally, an operator has an average salary of $37,928, which is higher than the $36,411 average annual salary of a printer operator.
The top three skills for a printer operator include troubleshoot, quality checks and quality standards. The most important skills for an operator are safety procedures, CDL, and emergency calls.
| Printer Operator | Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $36,411 | $37,928 |
| Hourly rate | $17.51 | $18.23 |
| Growth rate | - | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 43,730 | 159,077 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Average age | 48 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A printer operator is tasked to operate, maintain, and troubleshoot all printing equipment in a company. This person performs all necessary printing requests coming from customers and the company and is expected to have a working knowledge of various printing equipment and printing techniques to assure quality. The printer operator must also know about design, use of color, and other creative aspects to provide last-minute adjustments on printing jobs to avoid later revisions. The printer operator is vital personnel in businesses like publishing companies and creative houses.
Operators are skilled workers who are in charge of working on an industrial machine or a specific aspect of the manufacturing business. They are trained to operate machines, learning how to use them. They are also responsible for the maintenance and repair of the machine, and they should be able to troubleshoot problems and provide remedies to them. They must be knowledgeable about the different parts of the machine and how to mitigate any challenges that may arise. Operators should be alert, detail-oriented, and familiar with safety and health guidelines.
Printer operators and operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Printer Operator | Operator | |
| Average salary | $36,411 | $37,928 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $53,000 | Between $27,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Providence, RI | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | Quad | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a printer operator and an operator in terms of educational background:
| Printer Operator | Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between printer operators' and operators' demographics:
| Printer Operator | Operator | |
| Average age | 48 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.1% Female, 31.9% | Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 7.2% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 16.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |