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

What is a shot peening operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a shot peening operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $19.88 an hour? That's $41,356 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -8% and produce -83,800 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreShot Peening OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.2

Avg. Salary $41,356

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.0

Growth rate -8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.87%

Asian 4.55%

Black or African American 4.87%

Hispanic or Latino 14.79%

Unknown 5.43%

White 69.49%

Gender

female 13.33%

male 86.67%

Age - 43

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 - 43

Stress level

6.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.1

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a shot peening operator

Explore shot peening operator education requirements

Most common shot peening operator degrees

High School Diploma

56.7 %

Associate

16.7 %

Bachelor's

13.3 %

Start to develop specific shot peening operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Peen	51.06%
Shot Peening	46.08%
CNC	2.87%

Complete relevant shot peening operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New shot peening 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 shot peening operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real shot peening operator resumes.

Research shot peening operator duties and responsibilities

Run trumpf laser systems, inspect parts for quality errors, maintain deadlines, read blueprints, perform basic laser maintenance.
Prepare manufacturing pulleys by blasting and applying industrial glue.

Prepare your shot peening operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your shot peening 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 shot peening 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 shot peening operator resume templates

Build a professional shot peening 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 shot peening operator resume.