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The differences between process operators and relief operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a relief operator has an average salary of $42,693, which is higher than the $37,996 average annual salary of a process operator.
The top three skills for a process operator include safety procedures, preventative maintenance and team-oriented environment. The most important skills for a relief operator are food safety, CIP, and PPE.
| Process Operator | Relief Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $37,996 | $42,693 |
| Hourly rate | $18.27 | $20.53 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 83,478 | 64,469 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
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.
A relief operator job depends on the institution or organization. Their main jobs include examining, measuring, and weighing materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices such as rulers, micrometers, or scales. Their additional responsibilities include maintaining regular contact and communication with customers to resolve concerns, issues, and complaints.
Process operators and relief operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Process Operator | Relief Operator | |
| Average salary | $37,996 | $42,693 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $48,000 | Between $36,000 And $50,000 |
| Highest paying City | Grand Forks, ND | Hutchinson, KS |
| Highest paying state | Wyoming | Kansas |
| Best paying company | BWX Technologies | Nestlé |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Energy |
There are a few differences between a process operator and a relief operator in terms of educational background:
| Process Operator | Relief Operator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | - |
Here are the differences between process operators' and relief operators' demographics:
| Process Operator | Relief Operator | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% | Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 6.6% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |