Turret lathe operator vs laser operator

The differences between turret lathe operators and laser operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a turret lathe operator and a laser operator. Additionally, a turret lathe operator has an average salary of $38,904, which is higher than the $34,813 average annual salary of a laser operator.

The top three skills for a turret lathe operator include pallets, hand tools and calipers. The most important skills for a laser operator are laser cutting, calipers, and laser machine.

Turret lathe operator vs laser operator overview

	Turret Lathe Operator	Laser Operator
Yearly salary	$38,904	$34,813
Hourly rate	$18.70	$16.74
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	44,277	56,479
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Turret lathe operator vs laser operator salary

Turret lathe operators and laser operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Turret Lathe Operator	Laser Operator
Average salary	$38,904	$34,813
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $47,000	Between $27,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	-	Oregon City, OR
Highest paying state	-	Oregon
Best paying company	-	Kloeckner Metals
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between turret lathe operator and laser operator education

There are a few differences between a turret lathe operator and a laser operator in terms of educational background:

	Turret Lathe Operator	Laser Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Turret lathe operator vs laser operator demographics

Here are the differences between turret lathe operators' and laser operators' demographics:

	Turret Lathe Operator	Laser Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8%	Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.4% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.0% White, 68.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between turret lathe operator and laser operator duties and responsibilities

Turret lathe operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Maintain SPC and record data to assure the part is within control limits; maintain accurate downtime and production records.
Use of CMM equipment to measure parts with a high degree of accuracy and make offsets to cutting machinery if necessary.
Involve in maintaining continuous improvement in documentation and procedures for ISO certification.
Fulfill production responsibilities to customer while maintaining superior quality using physical gauges and CMM machines.
Create procedures for inspection and documentation of ISO compliant, manufacture components for a laser surgery workstation.

Laser operator example responsibilities.

Calculate requirements, using basic math, geometry.
Follow and comply to GMP, FDA, and ISO regulations
Uphold all ISO and OSHA standards applicable to the responsibilities list above.
Complete SPC charts to track tool capability and hold tight tolerances on small parts.
Used micrometers and protractors to check dimension and angle of part during all job set ups and quality control checks.
Perform quality control inspection using calipers/gauges/micrometers and digital comparators.

Turret lathe operator vs laser operator skills

Common turret lathe operator skills

Pallets, 38%
Hand Tools, 15%
Calipers, 15%
Inventory Control, 7%
Load Trucks, 5%
Punch Press, 4%

Common laser operator skills

Laser Cutting, 13%
Calipers, 8%
Laser Machine, 7%
Math, 6%
Hand Tools, 5%
CNC Laser, 4%