Senior machine operator vs relief operator

The differences between senior machine operators and relief operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a relief operator has an average salary of $42,693, which is higher than the $40,353 average annual salary of a senior machine operator.

The top three skills for a senior machine operator include hand tools, CNC and quality standards. The most important skills for a relief operator are food safety, CIP, and PPE.

Senior machine operator vs relief operator overview

	Senior Machine Operator	Relief Operator
Yearly salary	$40,353	$42,693
Hourly rate	$19.40	$20.53
Growth rate	-	7%
Number of jobs	74,352	64,469
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 46%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Senior machine operator vs relief operator salary

Senior machine operators and relief operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Senior Machine Operator	Relief Operator
Average salary	$40,353	$42,693
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $64,000	Between $36,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City	-	Hutchinson, KS
Highest paying state	-	Kansas
Best paying company	-	Nestlé
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between senior machine operator and relief operator education

There are a few differences between a senior machine operator and a relief operator in terms of educational background:

	Senior Machine Operator	Relief Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 46%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Senior machine operator vs relief operator demographics

Here are the differences between senior machine operators' and relief operators' demographics:

	Senior Machine Operator	Relief Operator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 77.0% Female, 23.0%	Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 6.6% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between senior machine operator and relief operator duties and responsibilities

Senior machine operator example responsibilities.

Manage and troubleshoot a variety of different heavy machinery.
Monitor department personnel to ensure SQF, SOPP, HACCP and GMP's are follow.
Lift work pieces to machines manually, using hoists, and with cranes.
Perform all extrusion line set ups, changeovers, start-ups, and continuous operations.
operate hydraulic hoists /machinery that make an electronic circuit board
Maintain technical data/records for mechanical/electrical repair and adjustments to assure product conformance with SPC specifications.

Relief operator example responsibilities.

Run and maintain production machinery while following all company GMP's and safety policies.
Utilize chemicals for clean-ups, always following MSDS instructions and wearing proper PPE at all times.
Perform work in specialize chemical/acid resistant PPE with SCBA, chemical resistant heat suits, inline air and escape packs.
Maintain technical data/records for mechanical/electrical repair and adjustments to assure product conformance with SPC specifications.
Perform routine verification of equipment when unloading autoclaves and setting up aseptic filling machines.

Senior machine operator vs relief operator skills

Common senior machine operator skills

Hand Tools, 16%
CNC, 9%
Quality Standards, 6%
Machine Operators, 6%
Safety Procedures, 5%
PPE, 5%

Common relief operator skills

Food Safety, 18%
CIP, 11%
PPE, 7%
Quality Checks, 7%
Basic Math, 6%
CDL, 6%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Senior Machine Operator
Senior Machine Operator vs Relief Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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