Shaper vs finisher operator

The differences between shapers and finisher operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a shaper has an average salary of $46,595, which is higher than the $35,406 average annual salary of a finisher operator.

The top three skills for a shaper include assembly line, and . The most important skills for a finisher operator are hand tools, math, and quality checks.

Shaper vs finisher operator overview

	Shaper	Finisher Operator
Yearly salary	$46,595	$35,406
Hourly rate	$22.40	$17.02
Growth rate	-5%	7%
Number of jobs	334	77,850
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	High School Diploma, 45%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	4

Shaper vs finisher operator salary

Shapers and finisher operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Shaper	Finisher Operator
Average salary	$46,595	$35,406
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $85,000	Between $28,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	-	Horsham, PA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Elanco
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between shaper and finisher operator education

There are a few differences between a shaper and a finisher operator in terms of educational background:

	Shaper	Finisher Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	High School Diploma, 45%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Shaper vs finisher operator demographics

Here are the differences between shapers' and finisher operators' demographics:

	Shaper	Finisher Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9%	Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 7.1% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 15.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 2.5% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	5%	4%

Differences between shaper and finisher operator duties and responsibilities

Shaper example responsibilities.

Run countertops through shaper machine then form them to the style request.
Operate plastic mold machines, building of mixing machines, assemble parts on lid line, run stock to departments if need
Help shape surfboards and work around the shaping wear house.
Position or align components for assembly, manually or using hoists.Rework, repair, or replace damage parts or assemblies.

Finisher operator example responsibilities.

Experience following procedures and managing GMP documentation.
Position and secure workpieces, using hoists, banding machines or hand tools.
Cross train in CIP validation.
Perform labor duties of concrete demolition.
Operate multiple CNC machines and shadow CNC programmers
Process parts for fluorescent penetrant inspection (FPI/ NDT).

Shaper vs finisher operator skills

Common shaper skills

Assembly Line, 100%

Common finisher operator skills

Hand Tools, 10%
Math, 9%
Quality Checks, 7%
Safety Procedures, 5%
Quality Standards, 5%
Product Quality, 5%