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The differences between process associates and process operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a process associate, becoming a process operator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a process operator has an average salary of $37,996, which is higher than the $37,954 average annual salary of a process associate.
The top three skills for a process associate include patients, customer service and extraction. The most important skills for a process operator are safety procedures, preventative maintenance, and team-oriented environment.
| Process Associate | Process Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $37,954 | $37,996 |
| Hourly rate | $18.25 | $18.27 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 27,408 | 83,478 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 51 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
Process Associates are responsible for maintaining, monitoring, and improving the production processes for manufacturing organizations. They are responsible for inspecting existing processes to guide system upgrades, servicing production equipment, maintaining supplies and inventory, and adhering to safety and quality regulations for production processes. Process associates also write production process reports and help to troubleshoot issues pertinent to processes. They must be detailed oriented and possess technical knowledge of mechanical processes. A goof process associate will maintain the smooth running to achieve cost reduction and production rate improvement.
A process operator's role is to supervise all production operations in a manufacturing plant or similar setting. To ensure the efficiency and safety of the workforce and the workload, a process operator must regularly conduct inspections on the manufacturing processes and provide an assessment of the employees' progress. There are also duties that involve producing reports and presentations, keeping and updating data, performing audits, and managing work schedules. Furthermore, it is essential to maintain a healthy and safe environment for everyone, all while adhering and implementing the policies and regulations of the company.
Process associates and process operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Process Associate | Process Operator | |
| Average salary | $37,954 | $37,996 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $63,000 | Between $29,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | Grand Forks, ND |
| Highest paying state | California | Wyoming |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | BWX Technologies |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a process associate and a process operator in terms of educational background:
| Process Associate | Process Operator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between process associates' and process operators' demographics:
| Process Associate | Process Operator | |
| Average age | 51 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.3% Female, 56.7% | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 4.5% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |