Vertical lathe operator vs lathe set up operator

The differences between vertical lathe operators and lathe set up 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 lathe set up operator. Additionally, a lathe set up operator has an average salary of $40,481, which is higher than the $37,288 average annual salary of a vertical lathe operator.

The top three skills for a vertical lathe operator include cnc vertical, FANUC and quality checks. The most important skills for a lathe set up operator are calipers, FANUC, and lathe machines.

Vertical lathe operator vs lathe set up operator overview

	Vertical Lathe Operator	Lathe Set Up Operator
Yearly salary	$37,288	$40,481
Hourly rate	$17.93	$19.46
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	29,497	30,437
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 45%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Vertical lathe operator vs lathe set up operator salary

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

	Vertical Lathe Operator	Lathe Set Up Operator
Average salary	$37,288	$40,481
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $47,000	Between $29,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between vertical lathe operator and lathe set up operator education

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

	Vertical Lathe Operator	Lathe Set Up Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 45%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering Technology	Computer Science
Most common college	-	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Vertical lathe operator vs lathe set up operator demographics

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

	Vertical Lathe Operator	Lathe Set Up Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8%	Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4%
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, 14.4% Asian, 5.9% White, 68.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between vertical lathe operator and lathe set up 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.

Lathe set up operator example responsibilities.

Set up and run CNC lathes with Fanuc controls.
Set up and edit program as needed for Okuma LB35, Mazak lathe machine.
Experience running Haas mills, lathes, and Leadwell CNC lathes.
Experience running Mazak CNC lathe and mills.
Learned and familiarize myself with Mazak machines.
Operate various types of Mori Seiko lathes, and a few Haas verticle mills.

Vertical lathe operator vs lathe set up operator skills

Common vertical lathe operator skills

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

Common lathe set up operator skills

Calipers, 12%
FANUC, 11%
Lathe Machines, 10%
Okuma, 7%
Aerospace, 7%
G Code, 5%

Vertical Lathe Operator vs. similar jobs

Vertical Lathe Operator related careers

Vertical Lathe Operator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Production and Manufacturing Industry
Vertical Lathe Operator
Vertical Lathe Operator vs Lathe Set Up Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse production and manufacturing jobs