What is Machine Operators?
Machine operators, also known as machinists, refer to workers responsible for various machines with specific functions. Their duties include setting up equipment, loading materials, and operating machinery. The machine operators also monitor and optimize their operations for efficiency.
How is Machine Operators used?
Zippia reviewed thousands of resumes to understand how machine operators is used in different jobs. Explore the list of common job responsibilities related to machine operators below:
- Provide direct communication/direction to machine operators and crews within a union environment.
- Supervised machine operators and production employees.
- Supervised and assisted with the training of employees for 5 SMT lines (15+ machine operators and/or inspectors).
- Provide support to machine operators.
- Trained new hires as machine operators and mentored apprentices to perform effective machine operation procedures.
- Trained machine operators for production and forklift operators for safe driving practices in warehouse conditions.
Are Machine Operators skills in demand?
Yes, machine operators skills are in demand today. Currently, 784 job openings list machine operators skills as a requirement. The job descriptions that most frequently include machine operators skills are machine group leader, machine shop foreman, and machine operator-lead person.
How hard is it to learn Machine Operators?
Based on the average complexity level of the jobs that use machine operators the most: machine group leader, machine shop foreman, and machine operator-lead person. The complexity level of these jobs is challenging.
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What jobs can you get with Machine Operators skills?
You can get a job as a machine group leader, machine shop foreman, and machine operator-lead person with machine operators skills. After analyzing resumes and job postings, we identified these as the most common job titles for candidates with machine operators skills.
Machine Group Leader
- Machine Operators
- Product Quality
- GMP
- CNC
- Lean Manufacturing
- Safety Procedures
Machine Operator-Lead Person
- Safety Procedures
- CNC
- Machine Operators
- Production Schedules
- MIG
- Production Lines
Shift Foreman
- Machine Operators
- Safety Rules
- Plant Operations
- Preventative Maintenance
- CNC
- Safety Standards
Quality Control Operator
- Quality Checks
- Machine Operators
- Laboratory Equipment
- ISO
- Pallet Jack
- Quality Issues
Machine Operator-Team Leader
- Safety Procedures
- Machine Operators
- Equipment Operation
- Preventative Maintenance
- CNC
- Assembly Line
Machine Operator Assistant
- Machine Operators
- Quality Checks
- Basic Math
- Tape Measure
- Quality Standards
- Safety Procedures
Lead Operator/Machine Operator
Job description:
A Lead Operator or an Industrial Machinery Mechanic is responsible for creating, installing, and repairing different types of machinery. This person does the adjustment and maintenance of machines as well as the industrial production and distribution of types of equipment and other systems. They also identify the causes of the problem and determines the valued solutions. Other duties include maintaining the routine monitoring of equipment to ensure quality standards and examines the production equipment to evaluate the performance and if there are changes.
- Safety Procedures
- Machine Operators
- Quality Standards
- Preventative Maintenance
- CNC
- Safety Rules
Molding Supervisor
- ISO
- Lean Manufacturing
- Machine Operators
- Quality Standards
- GMP
- Continuous Improvement
Production Line Worker
Job description:
A production worker is responsible for operating equipment and machinery to support the production process with the highest efficiency and maximum operational performance. Production workers regularly inspect the condition of the machinery, reporting any defects and malfunctions which affect the production process for immediate repairs or replacement. They also conduct quality checks for finished products before release to ensure customer satisfaction and avoid any delays on shipment. A production worker must always adhere to safety standards and protocols set by the management to prevent hazards in the production area.
- Assembly Line
- Pallet Jack
- Safety Guidelines
- Machine Operators
- Quality Checks
- Safety Procedures
General Helper
Job description:
General helpers are skilled workers who help other workers by performing tasks that need less skill, such as holding materials or tools and cleaning work areas and equipment. These helpers are required to provide general labor support to all departments while performing a variety of job assignments. They must ensure that everyone in an organization is following safety rules and inspect areas for safety hazards. General helpers must also perform constant quality checks on the organization's establishments using its quality guidelines and operating procedures.
- Tape Measure
- Pallets
- Hand Tools
- Machine Operators
- Math
- Data Entry
How much can you earn with Machine Operators skills?
You can earn up to $111,580 a year with machine operators skills if you become a machine group leader, the highest-paying job that requires machine operators skills. Machine shop foremen can earn the second-highest salary among jobs that use Python, $38,836 a year.
| Job title | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Machine Group Leader | $111,580 | $54 |
| Machine Shop Foreman | $38,836 | $19 |
| Machine Operator-Lead Person | $33,911 | $16 |
| Shift Foreman | $35,963 | $17 |
| Quality Control Operator | $34,879 | $17 |
Companies using Machine Operators in 2025
The top companies that look for employees with machine operators skills are Aerotek, Randstad North America, Inc., and Campbell Soup. In the millions of job postings we reviewed, these companies mention machine operators skills most frequently.
| Rank | Company | % of all skills | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aerotek | 31% | 4,905 |
| 2 | Randstad North America, Inc. | 10% | 537 |
| 3 | Campbell Soup | 7% | 414 |
| 4 | Niagara Bottling | 5% | 251 |
| 5 | Berry Global | 4% | 0 |
Departments using Machine Operators
The departments that use machine operators the most are supply chain, construction, and facilities.
| Department | Average salary |
|---|---|
| Supply Chain | $58,931 |
| Construction | $45,405 |
| Facilities | $44,699 |
| Plant/Manufacturing | $42,238 |
| Warehouse | $34,721 |
2 courses for Machine Operators skills
1. MLOps | Machine Learning Operations
This comprehensive course series is perfect for individuals with programming knowledge such as software developers, data scientists, and researchers. You'll acquire critical MLOps skills, including the use of Python and Rust, utilizing GitHub Copilot to enhance productivity, and leveraging platforms like Amazon SageMaker, Azure ML, and MLflow. You'll also learn how to fine-tune Large Language Models (LLMs) using Hugging Face and understand the deployment of sustainable and efficient binary embedded models in the ONNX format, setting you up for success in the ever-evolving field of MLOps\n\nThrough this series, you will begin to learn skills for various career paths:\n\n1. Data Science - Analyze and interpret complex data sets, develop ML models, implement data management, and drive data-driven decision making.\n\n2. Machine Learning Engineering - Design, build, and deploy ML models and systems to solve real-world problems.\n\n3. Cloud ML Solutions Architect - Leverage cloud platforms like AWS and Azure to architect and manage ML solutions in a scalable, cost-effective manner.\n\n4. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Product Management - Bridge the gap between business, engineering, and data science teams to deliver impactful AI/ML products...
2. Build and Operate Machine Learning Solutions with Azure
Azure Machine Learning is a cloud platform for training, deploying, managing, and monitoring machine learning models. In this course, you will learn how to use the Azure Machine Learning Python SDK to create and manage enterprise-ready ML solutions. This is the third course in a five-course program that prepares you to take the DP-100: Designing and Implementing a Data Science Solution on Azurecertification exam. The certification exam is an opportunity to prove knowledge and expertise operate machine learning solutions at a cloud-scale using Azure Machine Learning. This specialization teaches you to leverage your existing knowledge of Python and machine learning to manage data ingestion and preparation, model training and deployment, and machine learning solution monitoring in Microsoft Azure. Each course teaches you the concepts and skills that are measured by the exam. This Specialization is intended for data scientists with existing knowledge of Python and machine learning frameworks like Scikit-Learn, PyTorch, and Tensorflow, who want to build and operate machine learning solutions in the cloud. It teaches data scientists how to create end-to-end solutions in Microsoft Azure. Students will learn how to manage Azure resources for machine learning; run experiments and train models; deploy and operationalize machine learning solutions, and implement responsible machine learning. They will also learn to use Azure Databricks to explore, prepare, and model data; and integrate Databricks machine learning processes with Azure Machine Learning...