Vertical lathe operator vs laser operator

The differences between vertical 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 vertical lathe operator and a laser operator. Additionally, a vertical lathe operator has an average salary of $37,288, which is higher than the $34,813 average annual salary of a laser operator.

The top three skills for a vertical lathe operator include cnc vertical, FANUC and quality checks. The most important skills for a laser operator are laser cutting, calipers, and laser machine.

Vertical lathe operator vs laser operator overview

	Vertical Lathe Operator	Laser Operator
Yearly salary	$37,288	$34,813
Hourly rate	$17.93	$16.74
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	29,497	56,479
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Vertical lathe operator vs laser operator salary

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

	Vertical Lathe Operator	Laser Operator
Average salary	$37,288	$34,813
Salary range	Between $29,000 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 vertical lathe operator and laser operator education

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

	Vertical Lathe Operator	Laser Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering Technology	Business
Most common college	-	-

Vertical lathe operator vs laser operator demographics

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

	Vertical Lathe Operator	Laser Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8%	Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.2% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	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 vertical lathe operator and laser operator duties and responsibilities

Vertical lathe operator example responsibilities.

Perform trial runs on new CNC programs, working with programming and tooling to achieve satisfactory parts.
Perform inspection duties on CMM as needed.
Perform quality control inspection using calipers/gauges/micrometers and digital comparators.
Conduct maintenance on equipment and setup for large boring machines.
Operate heavy duty lathes, boring machines and mills, planers, shapers and grinders.

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.

Vertical lathe operator vs laser operator skills

Common vertical lathe operator skills

CNC Vertical, 65%
FANUC, 17%
Quality Checks, 17%

Common laser operator skills

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

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Vertical Lathe Operator
Vertical Lathe Operator vs Laser Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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