Production operator lead vs line operator

The differences between production operators lead and line operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a production operator lead has an average salary of $46,527, which is higher than the $34,520 average annual salary of a line operator.

The top three skills for a production operator lead include quality checks, production operations and GMP. The most important skills for a line operator are preventative maintenance, PPE, and basic math.

Production operator lead vs line operator overview

	Production Operator Lead	Line Operator
Yearly salary	$46,527	$34,520
Hourly rate	$22.37	$16.60
Growth rate	-	7%
Number of jobs	111,952	137,127
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	46	44
Years of experience	2	-

Production operator lead vs line operator salary

Production operators lead and line operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Production Operator Lead	Line Operator
Average salary	$46,527	$34,520
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $62,000	Between $27,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	-	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	BD
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between production operator lead and line operator education

There are a few differences between a production operator lead and a line operator in terms of educational background:

	Production Operator Lead	Line Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	High School Diploma, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	-

Production operator lead vs line operator demographics

Here are the differences between production operators lead' and line operators' demographics:

	Production Operator Lead	Line Operator
Average age	46	44
Gender ratio	Male, 74.3% Female, 25.7%	Male, 67.6% Female, 32.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 4.7% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	5%

Differences between production operator lead and line operator duties and responsibilities

Production operator lead example responsibilities.

Manage employee's schedules, time off requests, vacation and payroll with the KRONOS time management software.
Assist towards a successful FDA audit.
Perform batch record and GMP documentation entries.
Follow company policies and guidelines corresponding to FDA ,
Create work instruction and visual aids for manufacturing in compliance with ISO standards.
Give accurate information to answer questions for co-workers, troubleshoot problems and concerns, and resolve complaints.

Line operator example responsibilities.

Follow safety procedures, including but not limit to, wearing proper PPE, lock-out/tag-out, and HAZMAT.
Weld various models of Honda car seats.
Operate foam line for assembly of Toyota Tacoma car seats.
Work the assembly line building car door frames for Chrysler.
Work in high volume production setting, sewing seat covers for Toyota vehicles.
Wear all PPE while manually draining and cleaning of all dip tanks and stations after shift or when production quality lessen.

Production operator lead vs line operator skills

Common production operator lead skills

Quality Checks, 11%
Production Operations, 9%
GMP, 9%
Safety Standards, 7%
Production Lines, 6%
Production Floor, 6%

Common line operator skills

Preventative Maintenance, 12%
PPE, 9%
Basic Math, 9%
Extrusion, 8%
Quality Checks, 7%
Assembly Line, 5%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Production Operator Lead
Production Operator Lead vs Line Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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