Set-up operator vs cell operator

The differences between set-up operators and cell operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a set-up operator has an average salary of $39,269, which is higher than the $37,866 average annual salary of a cell operator.

The top three skills for a set-up operator include calipers, cnc machines and hand tools. The most important skills for a cell operator are hand tools, math, and quality standards.

Set-up operator vs cell operator overview

	Set-Up Operator	Cell Operator
Yearly salary	$39,269	$37,866
Hourly rate	$18.88	$18.20
Growth rate	-8%	7%
Number of jobs	55,670	66,532
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 41%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	-

What does a set-up operator do?

A machine set-up operator operates machinery such as grinders, bores, and mills. They prepare machines to be used by organizing tools, setting valve directions, sharpening tools as needed, positioning tools, and conducting regular maintenance.

What does a cell operator do?

A Cell Operator is someone who handles a production cell in a company or factory. This position ensures that a cell unit of the production functions properly and efficiently. The position also does other miscellaneous tasks related to production, such as inspection, sorting, and other assembly operations, depending on the type of company, business, or manufactured product. This person generally has strong organizational and problem-solving skills and has a knack for troubleshooting.

Set-up operator vs cell operator salary

Set-up operators and cell operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Set-Up Operator	Cell Operator
Average salary	$39,269	$37,866
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $53,000	Between $31,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NY	Bothell, WA
Highest paying state	New York	Washington
Best paying company	Schneider Electric Industrial Services	Cummins
Best paying industry	Automotive	Technology

Differences between set-up operator and cell operator education

There are a few differences between a set-up operator and a cell operator in terms of educational background:

	Set-Up Operator	Cell Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 41%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Set-up operator vs cell operator demographics

Here are the differences between set-up operators' and cell operators' demographics:

	Set-Up Operator	Cell Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 85.6% Female, 14.4%	Male, 68.8% Female, 31.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 6.0% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 7.6% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	6%	5%

Differences between set-up operator and cell operator duties and responsibilities

Set-up operator example responsibilities.

Manage daily scheduling of production workload to be setup and run on machinery.
Use and replacement of drills, taps, broaches, and reamers.
Manufacture parts according to blueprints, work with stainless steel aluminum, brass and plastics.
Machine parts to specifications, using machine tools, such as lathes, milling machines, or grinders.
Use of exact measuring instruments as CMM, optical comparators, mics, bore gauges and many other tools.
Produce parts from different materials such as cold roll steel, stainless steel, no lead brass and regular brass.

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Cell operator example responsibilities.

Work with QC on parts.
Capture torque data for SPC charts.
Read and implement PC (product criteria).
Work with engineering to make specialty repair parts for hoists.
Adjust CNC machines as needed to ensure that parts are made to spec.
Assist in editing CNC programs and develop new part setups and tooling while working closely with manufacturing engineers.

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Set-up operator vs cell operator skills

Common set-up operator skills

Calipers, 9%
CNC Machines, 7%
Hand Tools, 7%
Math, 6%
Quality Checks, 6%
Preventative Maintenance, 6%

Common cell operator skills

Hand Tools, 12%
Math, 10%
Quality Standards, 8%
CNC, 8%
Calipers, 7%
Micrometers, 6%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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