Valve seater operator vs laser operator

The differences between valve seater operators and laser operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a valve seater operator has an average salary of $43,091, which is higher than the $34,813 average annual salary of a laser operator.

The top three skills for a valve seater operator include water valves, and . The most important skills for a laser operator are laser cutting, calipers, and laser machine.

Valve seater operator vs laser operator overview

	Valve Seater Operator	Laser Operator
Yearly salary	$43,091	$34,813
Hourly rate	$20.72	$16.74
Growth rate	-5%	-8%
Number of jobs	26,283	56,479
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 31%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	46	43
Years of experience	-	2

Valve seater operator vs laser operator salary

Valve seater operators and laser operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Valve Seater Operator	Laser Operator
Average salary	$43,091	$34,813
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $68,000	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 valve seater operator and laser operator education

There are a few differences between a valve seater operator and a laser operator in terms of educational background:

	Valve Seater Operator	Laser Operator
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 31%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Valve seater operator vs laser operator demographics

Here are the differences between valve seater operators' and laser operators' demographics:

	Valve Seater Operator	Laser Operator
Average age	46	43
Gender ratio	Male, 67.5% Female, 32.5%	Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 1.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 3.7% White, 77.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	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 valve seater operator and laser operator duties and responsibilities

Valve seater operator example responsibilities.

Implement tool control and OSHA safety regulations while working independently on various machinery.
Operate directional boring machine to install fiber optic cables for companies such as Verizon and Comcast.

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.

Valve seater operator vs laser operator skills

Common valve seater operator skills

Water Valves, 100%

Common laser operator skills

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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