Punch operator vs press brake operator

The differences between punch operators and press brake 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 press brake operator. Additionally, a press brake operator has an average salary of $36,359, 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 press brake operator are calipers, tape measure, and math.

Punch operator vs press brake operator overview

	Punch Operator	Press Brake Operator
Yearly salary	$33,046	$36,359
Hourly rate	$15.89	$17.48
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	44,679	57,264
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 51%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

Punch operator vs press brake operator salary

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

	Punch Operator	Press Brake Operator
Average salary	$33,046	$36,359
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $44,000	Between $29,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	-	Hartford, CT
Highest paying state	-	Rhode Island
Best paying company	-	Johnson Controls
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between punch operator and press brake operator education

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

	Punch Operator	Press Brake Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 51%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Punch operator vs press brake operator demographics

Here are the differences between punch operators' and press brake operators' demographics:

	Punch Operator	Press Brake Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 79.2% Female, 20.8%	Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9%
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, 7.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 1.7% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between punch operator and press brake 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.

Press brake operator example responsibilities.

Set up machines and troubleshoot.
Set up and run a turret punch
Maintain and ensure proper use of PPE.
Promote from tool operator to dye shop.
Hold tight tolerances and always use your PPE.
Used math skills to produce parts to a specific dimension.

Punch operator vs press brake operator skills

Common punch operator skills

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

Common press brake operator skills

Calipers, 12%
Tape Measure, 9%
Math, 8%
Hand Tools, 7%
Amada, 5%
Safety Procedures, 4%