Punch operator vs laser operator

The differences between punch operators and laser operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a punch operator and a laser operator. Additionally, a laser operator has an average salary of $34,813, which is higher than the $33,046 average annual salary of a punch operator.

The top three skills for a punch operator include quality checks, calipers and punch machine. The most important skills for a laser operator are laser cutting, calipers, and laser machine.

Punch operator vs laser operator overview

	Punch Operator	Laser Operator
Yearly salary	$33,046	$34,813
Hourly rate	$15.89	$16.74
Growth rate	-5%	-8%
Number of jobs	44,679	56,479
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	46	43
Years of experience	2	2

Punch operator vs laser operator salary

Punch operators and laser operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Punch Operator	Laser Operator
Average salary	$33,046	$34,813
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $44,000	Between $27,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	-	Oregon City, OR
Highest paying state	-	Oregon
Best paying company	-	Kloeckner Metals
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between punch operator and laser operator education

There are a few differences between a punch operator and a laser operator in terms of educational background:

	Punch Operator	Laser Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Punch operator vs laser operator demographics

Here are the differences between punch operators' and laser operators' demographics:

	Punch Operator	Laser Operator
Average age	46	43
Gender ratio	Male, 79.2% Female, 20.8%	Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 1.7% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.0% White, 68.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	3%	6%

Differences between punch operator and laser operator duties and responsibilities

Punch operator example responsibilities.

Set up and run cnc amada turret punch presses and sharpen own tooling, and do minor adjustments to program
Operate Amada Apelio, Vipros, EMLK, FOM2 3015NT, FOM2 RI 3015 NT and Trumpf 2030.
Measure thickness of material with calipers and micrometers while sanding to keep material within allowable tolerances.
Dye setting and machine set up.

Laser operator example responsibilities.

Calculate requirements, using basic math, geometry.
Follow and comply to GMP, FDA, and ISO regulations
Uphold all ISO and OSHA standards applicable to the responsibilities list above.
Complete SPC charts to track tool capability and hold tight tolerances on small parts.
Used micrometers and protractors to check dimension and angle of part during all job set ups and quality control checks.
Perform quality control inspection using calipers/gauges/micrometers and digital comparators.

Punch operator vs laser operator skills

Common punch operator skills

Quality Checks, 32%
Calipers, 19%
Punch Machine, 16%
CNC, 11%
Punch Press, 7%
ISO, 5%

Common laser operator skills

Laser Cutting, 13%
Calipers, 8%
Laser Machine, 7%
Math, 6%
Hand Tools, 5%
CNC Laser, 4%