Sign maker vs hands assembler

The differences between sign makers and hands assemblers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a sign maker has an average salary of $36,308, which is higher than the $31,838 average annual salary of a hands assembler.

The top three skills for a sign maker include graphic design, vinyl graphics and aluminum. The most important skills for a hands assembler are hand assembly, basic math, and assembly line.

Sign maker vs hands assembler overview

	Sign Maker	Hands Assembler
Yearly salary	$36,308	$31,838
Hourly rate	$17.46	$15.31
Growth rate	7%	-
Number of jobs	8,783	19,873
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	High School Diploma, 47%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Sign maker vs hands assembler salary

Sign makers and hands assemblers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Sign Maker	Hands Assembler
Average salary	$36,308	$31,838
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $50,000	Between $25,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Clara, CA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	International Paper
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between sign maker and hands assembler education

There are a few differences between a sign maker and a hands assembler in terms of educational background:

	Sign Maker	Hands Assembler
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	High School Diploma, 47%
Most common major	Graphic Design	Business
Most common college	-	-

Sign maker vs hands assembler demographics

Here are the differences between sign makers' and hands assemblers' demographics:

	Sign Maker	Hands Assembler
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9%	Male, 40.5% Female, 59.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 8.8% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 10.7% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between sign maker and hands assembler duties and responsibilities

Sign maker example responsibilities.

Demonstrate proper use and application of PPE.
Apply basic and finish coats to sign blanks.
Print graphics on corrugate plastic, PVC, foam board, etc.
Keep record of number of boxes and labels used for each product run.
Pick, pack, and receive materials for customer orders using RF scanner and operator headset
Apply primers and sealers to prepare new surfaces, such as bare aluminum and steel, for finish coats.

Hands assembler example responsibilities.

Perform setup procedures for SMT machines.
Document and record results hourly on parts run.
Excel in interpreting detail aligning units using jigs and fixtures, and inspecting complete components to ensure conformance to specifications.
Download data to determine how RF units react under different environmental conditions.

Sign maker vs hands assembler skills

Common sign maker skills

Graphic Design, 16%
Vinyl Graphics, 14%
Aluminum, 13%
Vehicle Graphics, 5%
Custom Signage, 5%
Install Signage, 4%

Common hands assembler skills

Hand Assembly, 23%
Basic Math, 16%
Assembly Line, 15%
Safety Policies, 7%
Circuit Boards, 6%
Hand-Held Tools, 4%