Set-up operator vs fabric machine operator

The differences between set-up operators and fabric machine 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 set-up operator and a fabric machine operator. Additionally, a set-up operator has an average salary of $39,269, which is higher than the $35,954 average annual salary of a fabric machine operator.

The top three skills for a set-up operator include calipers, cnc machines and hand tools. The most important skills for a fabric machine operator are hand tools, math, and tape measure.

Set-up operator vs fabric machine operator overview

	Set-Up Operator	Fabric Machine Operator
Yearly salary	$39,269	$35,954
Hourly rate	$18.88	$17.29
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	55,670	65,896
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Set-up operator vs fabric machine operator salary

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

	Set-Up Operator	Fabric Machine Operator
Average salary	$39,269	$35,954
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $53,000	Between $29,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NY	Eugene, OR
Highest paying state	New York	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Schneider Electric Industrial Services	Jacobs Engineering Group
Best paying industry	Automotive	Technology

Differences between set-up operator and fabric machine operator education

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

	Set-Up Operator	Fabric Machine Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	Dunwoody College of Technology

Set-up operator vs fabric machine operator demographics

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

	Set-Up Operator	Fabric Machine Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 85.6% Female, 14.4%	Male, 87.2% Female, 12.8%
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, 5.3% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.8% White, 68.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between set-up operator and fabric machine 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.

Fabric machine operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Machine welder and TIG welding, bonding components together to fabricate metal products according to specifications and blueprints
Operate various industrial machinery including robotic welder, slider, CNC wire bender, press brake, and parts oven.
Complete daily checklist for forklift and clamp truck.
Fasten metal materials using soldering, brazing, and welding equipment.
Set up and operate centerless griding machines to grind OD metal.

Set-up operator vs fabric machine operator skills

Common set-up operator skills

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

Common fabric machine operator skills

Hand Tools, 10%
Math, 10%
Tape Measure, 10%
Basic Math, 9%
Calipers, 8%
Press Brake, 8%

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Set-Up Operator
Set-Up Operator vs Fabric Machine Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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