Production line operators work in manufacturing sites assembling products by a production line. They are entry-level production laborers who are responsible for operating heavy machinery and monitoring production. They perform maintenance work on the equipment and keep their working area clean and make sure they adhere to safety standards while performing their tasks.
Working as a line operator, you will have to keep records of the tasks you perform. You will be responsible for creating products that are in alignment with expected quality standards, following production schedules, and usually working in rotating shifts.
You need no specialized education to take on this role. A high school diploma is enough to get you hired, as long as you display reliable dexterity and a strong eye-hand connection. You will need to endure long stretches of standing by the assembly line, so physical stamina is a must. You will work as a member of a production team, which means great communication skills and affinity for teamwork are traits your employer will be looking for.
What is a Production Line Operator?
What Does a Production Line Operator Do
There are certain skills that many production line operators have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed communication skills, coordination and mechanical skills.
How To Become a Production Line Operator
If you're interested in becoming a production line operator, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 16.0% of production line operators have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 1.2% of production line operators have master's degrees. Even though some production line operators have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Production Line Operator Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of machine operator you might progress to a role such as technician eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title production supervisor.
Average Salary for a Production Line Operator
What Am I Worth?
States With The Most Production Line Operator Jobs
Number Of Production Line Operator Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 4,601 | $34,868 |
| 2 | Texas | 3,582 | $28,648 |
| 3 | Florida | 2,796 | $24,189 |
| 4 | Ohio | 2,588 | $35,140 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 2,374 | $36,239 |
| 6 | Illinois | 2,364 | $33,243 |
| 7 | Georgia | 2,056 | $25,506 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 1,921 | $35,262 |
| 9 | Indiana | 1,773 | $32,521 |
| 10 | North Carolina | 1,753 | $27,060 |
| 11 | New York | 1,700 | $37,985 |
| 12 | New Jersey | 1,546 | $31,871 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | 1,537 | $37,757 |
| 14 | Minnesota | 1,461 | $40,687 |
| 15 | Michigan | 1,408 | $31,137 |
| 16 | Tennessee | 1,400 | $27,527 |
| 17 | Virginia | 1,169 | $24,930 |
| 18 | Missouri | 1,048 | $33,397 |
| 19 | Arizona | 1,020 | $32,004 |
| 20 | Kentucky | 953 | $25,791 |
| 21 | Colorado | 860 | $30,143 |
| 22 | Iowa | 843 | $34,265 |
| 23 | Washington | 839 | $45,862 |
| 24 | South Carolina | 795 | $26,443 |
| 25 | Maryland | 729 | $34,992 |
| 26 | Utah | 660 | $34,795 |
| 27 | Oregon | 653 | $37,015 |
| 28 | Alabama | 612 | $22,818 |
| 29 | Kansas | 523 | $29,719 |
| 30 | Connecticut | 455 | $37,166 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | 451 | $29,660 |
| 32 | Nebraska | 422 | $33,322 |
| 33 | Louisiana | 414 | $30,398 |
| 34 | Mississippi | 389 | $29,264 |
| 35 | Nevada | 359 | $36,202 |
| 36 | Arkansas | 355 | $23,302 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | 344 | $38,545 |
| 38 | Maine | 288 | $35,423 |
| 39 | Rhode Island | 253 | $32,694 |
| 40 | Idaho | 245 | $33,652 |
| 41 | New Mexico | 193 | $34,025 |
| 42 | West Virginia | 192 | $28,193 |
| 43 | Hawaii | 159 | $31,947 |
| 44 | Vermont | 143 | $38,157 |
| 45 | Alaska | 137 | $39,528 |
| 46 | Delaware | 131 | $29,656 |
| 47 | South Dakota | 128 | $36,407 |
| 48 | North Dakota | 126 | $40,166 |
| 49 | Montana | 105 | $39,631 |
| 50 | Wyoming | 43 | $34,643 |
Top Skills For a Production Line Operator
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 21.9% of production line operators listed basic math on their resume, but soft skills such as communication skills and coordination are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Production Line Operator Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Production Line Operator templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Production Line Operator resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Production Line Operator Demographics
Production Line Operator Gender Distribution
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among production line operators, 28.5% of them are women, while 71.5% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among production line operators is White, which makes up 63.2% of all production line operators.
- The most common foreign language among production line operators is Spanish at 63.3%.
Online Courses For Production Line Operator That You May Like
Capturing the Product and Process Design...
Productivity & Time Management Strategies for Goal Setting, Eliminating Distractions, & Building Habits for Success...
Product Management Essentials & Product Management Fundamentals to kick-start your career in Product Management...
Best States For a Production Line Operator
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a production line operator. The best states for people in this position are Washington, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana. Production line operators make the most in Washington with an average salary of $45,862. Whereas in Minnesota and North Dakota, they would average $40,687 and $40,166, respectively. While production line operators would only make an average of $39,631 in Montana, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Minnesota
$40,687
Avg. Salary
2. Wisconsin
$37,757
Avg. Salary
3. New Hampshire
$38,545
Avg. Salary
How Do Production Line Operator Rate Their Jobs?
Top Production Line Operator Employers
Most Common Employers For Production Line Operator
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sanderson Farms | $43,223 | $20.78 | 9 |
| 2 | Talking Rain | $42,386 | $20.38 | 9 |
| 3 | Ecolab | $42,091 | $20.24 | 6 |
| 4 | Abbott | $41,757 | $20.08 | 7 |
| 5 | Hospira | $41,554 | $19.98 | 10 |
| 6 | General Mills | $41,461 | $19.93 | 10 |
| 7 | P&G | $39,514 | $19.00 | 12 |
| 8 | Tyson Foods | $38,593 | $18.55 | 10 |
| 9 | The Coca-Cola Company | $37,729 | $18.14 | 18 |
| 10 | Butterball | $37,563 | $18.06 | 13 |
Production Line Operator Videos
