How To Become A Scanner Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a scanner operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a scanner operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $16.02 an hour? That's $33,321 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 0% and produce -5,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreScanner OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,321

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

4.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.66%

Asian 7.74%

Black or African American 9.85%

Hispanic or Latino 21.75%

Unknown 3.24%

White 56.77%

Gender

female 48.33%

male 51.67%

Age - 49.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 49.5

Stress level

5.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.8

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a scanner operator

Explore scanner operator education requirements

Most common scanner operator degrees

High School Diploma

40.4 %

Associate

19.8 %

Bachelor's

19.1 %

Start to develop specific scanner operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Quality Checks	12.59%
Adobe Photoshop	12.58%
Color Correction	11.47%
Image Scanning	7.82%
RF	7.51%

Complete relevant scanner operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New scanner operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a scanner operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real scanner operator resumes.

Research scanner operator duties and responsibilities

Generate pre-flight lasers and color proofs to check separations before plating.
Used PageMaker on a Macintosh SE to produce brochures, annual reports, ads, technical manuals, etc.
Use of pit-stop and a nexus rip station.
Create digital plates from creo trendsetter/ make digital proofs.

Prepare your scanner operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your scanner operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a scanner operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable scanner operator resume templates

Build a professional scanner operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your scanner operator resume.