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Unit operator demographics and statistics in the US

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Unit operator demographics by:

Unit operator gender statistics

14.5% of unit operators are women and 85.5% of unit operators are men.
  • Male, 85.5%
  • Female, 14.5%

Unit operator gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Male85.5%
Female14.5%

Unit operator gender pay gap

Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men

male-income
Male income
$41,405
female-income
Female income
$39,309

Unit operator gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in unit operator positions over time. Currently, 14.5% of unit operators are female.
Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

Unit operator gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
201091.12%8.88%
201190.55%9.45%
201290.08%9.92%
201384.82%15.18%
201485.86%14.14%
201584.94%15.06%
201688.63%11.37%
201780.76%19.24%
201887.01%12.99%
201984.00%16.00%
202087.41%12.59%
202185.51%14.49%

Unit operator related jobs gender ratio

We compared unit operators with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, relief driller and oil field roustabout have the biggest gender ratio gaps.

Job titleMaleFemale
Duck Bill Operator25%75%
Unit Operator86%14%
Lead Miner, Blasting98%2%
Oil Field Roustabout99%1%
Relief Driller99%1%

Unit operator demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among unit operators is White, which makes up 63.7% of all unit operators. Comparatively, 19.4% of unit operators are Hispanic or Latino and 9.3% of unit operators are Black or African American.
  • White, 63.7%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 19.4%
  • Black or African American, 9.3%
  • Unknown, 4.2%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%
  • Asian, 1.2%

Unit operator race

Unit operator racePercentages
White63.7%
Hispanic or Latino19.4%
Black or African American9.3%
Unknown4.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native2.2%
Asian1.2%

Unit operator race and ethnicity over time

See how unit operator racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

Unit operator race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201070.52%9.00%0.39%16.43%
201170.17%7.35%0.55%17.80%
201269.12%8.30%0.40%18.18%
201367.33%8.03%0.52%19.27%
201465.74%9.17%0.51%19.62%
201568.41%8.28%0.36%19.55%
201667.97%7.98%0.62%19.83%
201766.75%8.23%0.31%19.62%
201872.12%7.99%0.38%15.89%
201967.06%7.73%0.67%21.14%
202062.71%9.60%0.56%21.87%
202163.65%9.31%1.22%19.37%

Unit operator wage gap by race

According to our data, white unit operators have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian unit operators have the lowest average salary at $40,361.
$45,000
$44,000
$43,000
$42,000
$41,000
$40,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$40,962
White$43,640
Black or African American$40,703
Asian$40,361
Hispanic or Latino$41,441

Average unit operator age

See how the average age of unit operators varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female

Unit operator age by race and gender

RaceMale ageFemale age
White40
Black or African American48
American Indian and Alaska Native32
Hispanic or Latino35

Unit operator age breakdown

The average age of unit operators is 40+ years years old, representing 49% of the unit operator population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Unit operator age breakdown

Unit Operator YearsPercentages
40+ years49%
30-40 years30%
20-30 years22%

Unit operator educational attainment

The most common degree for unit operators is bachelor's degree, with 38% of unit operators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 26% and high school diploma degree at 25%.
  • Bachelor's, 38%
  • High School Diploma, 26%
  • Associate, 25%
  • Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

Unit operators by degree level

Unit operator degreePercentages
Bachelor's38%
High School Diploma26%
Associate25%
Diploma5%
Other Degrees6%

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Unit operator wage gap by degree level

According to the data, unit operators with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $45,190 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, unit operators earn a median annual income of $43,520 compared to $40,288 for unit operators with an High School Diploma degree.
$46,000
$45,000
$44,000
$43,000
$42,000
$41,000
$40,000
High School Diploma or Less
Bachelor's Degree
Some College/ Associate Degree
EducationSalary
High School Diploma or Less$40,288
Bachelor's Degree$43,520
Some College/ Associate Degree$45,190

Unit operator employment statistics

Most unit operators work for a private in the manufacturing industry.

Company size where unit operators work

Below, you can see the size of companies where unit operators work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Unit operator jobs by employer size

Company sizePercentages
< 50 employees7%
50 - 100 employees8%
100 - 500 employees18%
500 - 1,000 employees9%
1,000 - 10,000 employees29%
> 10,000 employees29%

Unit operator jobs by company type

Employees with the unit operator job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most unit operators prefer to work at private companies over public companies.

Education

Public

Private

Government

Unit operator jobs by sector

Company typePercentages
Education3%
Public36%
Private56%
Government5%

Unit operator jobs by industry

The most common industries for unit operators are manufacturing, energy and professional.

Manufacturing

Energy

Fortune 500

Professional

Transportation

Unit operator turnover and employment statistics

Unit operator unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for unit operators between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Unit operator unemployment rate by year

YearUnit operator unemployment rate
201012.16%
20118.43%
20127.78%
20138.04%
20146.09%
201511.90%
201613.78%
20176.52%
20184.80%
20194.61%
202012.55%
202111.41%

Average unit operator tenure

The average unit operator stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,045 unit operators resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Unit operator tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year16%
1-2 years29%
3-4 years16%
5-7 years16%
8-10 years8%
11+ years16%

Unit operator LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of unit operators that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
Job titleLGBTJob openings
Unit Operator2.29%-
Rock Dust Sprayer2.32%234
Wash Driller2.64%2,557
Shale Planer Operator4.26%26,010

Similar unit operator jobs LGBT demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job openings
Rock Dust Sprayer2.32%234
Wash Driller2.64%2,557
Shale Planer Operator4.26%26,010

Foreign languages spoken by unit operators

The most common foreign language among unit operators is Spanish at 38.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Chinese at 11.1% and Japanese is the third-most popular at 11.1%.
  • Spanish, 38.9%
  • Chinese, 11.1%
  • Japanese, 11.1%
  • French, 11.1%
  • Mandarin, 11.1%
  • Other, 16.7%

Unit operator languages spoken

Foreign languagePercentages
Spanish38.9%
Chinese11.1%
Japanese11.1%
French11.1%
Mandarin11.1%
Other16.7%

Unit operator jobs

Unit operator location demographics

Where do unit operators earn the most?

Unit operators earn the most in Minnesota, where the average unit operator salary is $54,024. The map here shows where unit operators earn the highest salaries in the U.S. The darker areas across the 50 states highlight the highest salaries.
Average salary

Which city has the most Unit Operators?

By looking through more than 1,045 resumes, we found that the most popular places for unit operators are New Madrid, MO and Odessa, TX.
Number of Unit Operators

Unit operator jobs by state

RankStateNumber of jobsAverage salary
1Massachusetts1,514$50,492
2New Jersey1,230$53,144
3Texas970$37,326
4Florida665$35,975
5California595$48,035
6Pennsylvania531$37,061
7New York529$51,558
8Michigan353$36,728
9Ohio335$41,032
10North Carolina333$40,091
11Illinois299$35,828
12Georgia298$36,165
13Tennessee259$48,295
14Minnesota252$54,024
15Maryland237$38,281
16Virginia232$36,862
17Louisiana225$43,734
18Washington223$38,959
19Missouri220$52,236
20Indiana211$35,059
21Mississippi208$37,625
22Wisconsin198$40,176
23Rhode Island197$38,678
24Kentucky191$36,019
25Alabama186$42,322
26South Carolina169$35,276
27District of Columbia165$41,523
28Connecticut148$40,025
29Arizona148$39,353
30Hawaii147$36,364
31Kansas147$34,041
32Iowa146$37,212
33Colorado135$43,203
34Oregon135$40,261
35New Hampshire132$36,688
36Alaska131$46,364
37New Mexico122$45,157
38Oklahoma116$36,132
39Maine108$35,532
40West Virginia104$41,173
41Arkansas93$45,955
42Delaware81$46,312
43Nevada80$44,584
44Utah74$44,586
45Nebraska73$40,736
46Montana68$36,429
47Vermont66$35,677
48South Dakota61$35,591
49North Dakota57$40,092
50Wyoming54$42,083
51Idaho39$36,551

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