Printer operator vs screen printer

The differences between printer operators and screen printers 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 a screen printer. Additionally, a printer operator has an average salary of $36,411, which is higher than the $30,310 average annual salary of a screen printer.

The top three skills for a printer operator include troubleshoot, quality checks and quality standards. The most important skills for a screen printer are apparel, reclaiming, and manual press.

Printer operator vs screen printer overview

	Printer Operator	Screen Printer
Yearly salary	$36,411	$30,310
Hourly rate	$17.51	$14.57
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	43,730	1,438
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	High School Diploma, 35%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

Printer operator vs screen printer salary

Printer operators and screen printers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Printer Operator	Screen Printer
Average salary	$36,411	$30,310
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $53,000	Between $22,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Providence, RI	Warwick, RI
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Washington
Best paying company	Quad	NEOTech
Best paying industry	Technology	Utilities

Differences between printer operator and screen printer education

There are a few differences between a printer operator and a screen printer in terms of educational background:

	Printer Operator	Screen Printer
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	High School Diploma, 35%
Most common major	Business	Graphic Design
Most common college	-	-

Printer operator vs screen printer demographics

Here are the differences between printer operators' and screen printers' demographics:

	Printer Operator	Screen Printer
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 68.1% Female, 31.9%	Male, 71.2% Female, 28.8%
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, 10.2% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 6.7% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between printer operator and screen printer duties and responsibilities

Printer operator example responsibilities.

Manage day-to-day operations and supervise employees to ensure the studio run smoothly.
Operate UV and solvent printers.
Collate and bind print materials.
Record HD masters, clones.
Print operator using high speed OCE printers.
Handle rush orders and short delivery windows.

Screen printer example responsibilities.

Handle burning and reclaiming of screens, and printing on a manual and automatic press.
Help run the screen department print on automatic press pull shirts run a sock machine do warehouse embroidery run a plastic welder
Operate machinery in production process, assist machine operators, troubleshoot machinery and repair as needed, monitor the production process.
Strived for lowest number of QA rejects everyday.
Formulate and mix UV and conventional inks for orders.
Mix UV and solvent inks, read and follow job order papers.

Printer operator vs screen printer skills

Common printer operator skills

Troubleshoot, 14%
Quality Checks, 9%
Quality Standards, 9%
Basic Math, 8%
Windows, 5%
Preventive Maintenance, 5%

Common screen printer skills

Apparel, 11%
Reclaiming, 8%
Manual Press, 7%
Embroidery, 7%
Silk Screen, 6%
Automatic Press, 5%