Topper vs smelter operator

The differences between toppers and smelter operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a smelter operator has an average salary of $32,894, which is higher than the $29,438 average annual salary of a topper.

The top three skills for a topper include food preparation, assembly line and . The most important skills for a smelter operator are smelting, control room, and end loaders.

Topper vs smelter operator overview

	Topper	Smelter Operator
Yearly salary	$29,438	$32,894
Hourly rate	$14.15	$15.81
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	503	26,336
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 65%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Topper vs smelter operator salary

Toppers and smelter operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Topper	Smelter Operator
Average salary	$29,438	$32,894
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $41,000	Between $25,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between topper and smelter operator education

There are a few differences between a topper and a smelter operator in terms of educational background:

	Topper	Smelter Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 65%
Most common major	General Studies	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Topper vs smelter operator demographics

Here are the differences between toppers' and smelter operators' demographics:

	Topper	Smelter Operator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 47.8% Female, 52.2%	Male, 95.5% Female, 4.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 3.4% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 2.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between topper and smelter operator duties and responsibilities

Topper example responsibilities.

Pack product according to spreadsheets and run distributing lines while conducting computer operating codes for organization.
Pack product according to spreadsheets and run distributing lines while conducting computer operating codes for organization.

Smelter operator example responsibilities.

Manage work and heater logs, overtime budget, project delegation and PPE gear inventory.
Demonstrate ability to troubleshoot creatively, solve problems effectively, and make inform decisions while successfully guiding others through constant change.
Assist in the process of extracting CO2 gas from molten copper ore.

Topper vs smelter operator skills

Common topper skills

Food Preparation, 55%
Assembly Line, 45%

Common smelter operator skills

Smelting, 52%
Control Room, 28%
End Loaders, 13%
Fork-Lift, 7%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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