What does a production line operator do?
Production line operators must have strong reading skills and a knowledge base for loading and unloading, quality control, and starting and stopping of production lines. Those who choose this career will be expected to assist in assembling and manufacturing machines, foodstuffs, and products. Production line operators most often work in a factory setting for a manufacturer.
Production line operator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real production line operator resumes:
- Experience following procedures and managing GMP documentation.
- Use require PPE proper ears, eyes and hands protection.
- Document readouts, troubleshoot defects via oscilloscope and analog measurements, and report test analysis.
- Pick up unopenedcarcasses hang back by USDA and properly open and rehung on the lines for USDAreinspection.
Production line operator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 22% of Production Line Operators are proficient in Basic Math, Math, and Quality Standards. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Coordination, and Mechanical skills.
We break down the percentage of Production Line Operators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Basic Math, 22%
Team oriented environment* Basic math skills required to complete paperwork* Fast paced environment requiring high volumes per hour
- Math, 9%
Solve math equations quickly and accurately without calculator.
- Quality Standards, 9%
Loaded parts onto the robot which had to meet quality standards and hourly quotas
- Safety Guidelines, 8%
Certified in proper safety guidelines for necessary equipment: Sawzall drills, PPE Gear.
- Quality Checks, 7%
Served on Plant Medical and Hazardous Materials Teams Perform Daily Calibrations and Quality Checks on Production Line Cross-Trained across multiple production lines
- Quality Products, 4%
Organize and produce quality products per daily orders Maintain line safety Maintain light maintenance upon CNC machinery Reorder materials per order needs
Common skills that a production line operator uses to do their job include "basic math," "math," and "quality standards." You can find details on the most important production line operator responsibilities below.
Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for a production line operator to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "material moving machine operators signal and direct workers to load and unload material." Additionally, a production line operator resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "performed mechanical assembly of electronic telecommunications equipment using hand tools, torque tools, soldering iron. "
Coordination. Many production line operator duties rely on coordination. "material moving machine operators must have steady hands and feet to guide and control heavy machinery precisely," so a production line operator will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways production line operator responsibilities rely on coordination: "demonstrated accuracy in the assembly of units/components requiring adept hand-eye coordination and fluency. "
Mechanical skills. This is an important skill for production line operators to perform their duties. For an example of how production line operator responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "material moving machine operators make minor adjustments to their machines and perform basic maintenance on them." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a production line operator: "preformed number duties on assembly line understood mechanical procedures machine operations".
Visual ability. For certain production line operator responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "visual ability." The day-to-day duties of a production line operator rely on this skill, as "material moving machine operators must be able to see clearly where they are driving or what they are moving." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what production line operators do: "performed visual inspections of production run, completed documentation to maintain accurate records on logbooks and insure defect free work. "
The three companies that hire the most production line operators are:
- TPI25 production line operators jobs
- Butterball15 production line operators jobs
- Prysmian Group12 production line operators jobs
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Compare different production line operators
Production line operator vs. Operator
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.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a production line operator are more likely to require skills like "basic math," "math," "safety guidelines," and "quality products." On the other hand, a job as an operator requires skills like "cdl," "emergency calls," "preventative maintenance," and "dozer." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Operators tend to make the most money working in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $41,321. In contrast, production line operators make the biggest average salary, $38,400, in the manufacturing industry.On average, operators reach similar levels of education than production line operators. Operators are 0.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Production line operator vs. Filler operator
A filler operator works with the packaging end of a production line. The filler's task is to fill containers with the required number of products before packaging and shipping. The filler also operates filling machines and makes the necessary adjustments to ensure consistency. They are also responsible for inventory and maintenance of filling process equipment. They must work well under pressure and be scrupulously accurate.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real production line operator resumes. While production line operator responsibilities can utilize skills like "production line equipment," "machine operation," "rf," and "safety policies," filler operators use skills like "food safety," "pallets," "restraints," and "cip."
Filler operators earn a higher average salary than production line operators. But filler operators earn the highest pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $41,472. Additionally, production line operators earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $38,400 annually.In general, filler operators achieve similar levels of education than production line operators. They're 0.5% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Production line operator vs. Molder operator
A molder operator sets up for the production of millwork, which is a crucial and major output of precision wood products. This position requires experience with all machinery associated with the woodworking industry. The responsibilities of a molder operator include setting up and operating the molder, inspecting the stock being cut, and verifying the dimensions of cut material to ensure they match specifications.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, production line operators are more likely to have skills like "math," "production line equipment," "customer specifications," and "rf." But a molder operator is more likely to have skills like "dexterity," "troubleshoot," "quality inspection," and "catheter."
Molder operators earn the best pay in the manufacturing industry, where they command an average salary of $33,149. Production line operators earn the highest pay from the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $38,400.Most molder operators achieve a similar degree level compared to production line operators. For example, they're 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Production line operator vs. Cell operator
A Cell Operator is someone who handles a production cell in a company or factory. This position ensures that a cell unit of the production functions properly and efficiently. The position also does other miscellaneous tasks related to production, such as inspection, sorting, and other assembly operations, depending on the type of company, business, or manufactured product. This person generally has strong organizational and problem-solving skills and has a knack for troubleshooting.
Types of production line operator
Updated January 8, 2025
