Vertical lathe operator vs line operator

The differences between vertical lathe operators and line operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a vertical lathe operator has an average salary of $37,288, which is higher than the $34,520 average annual salary of a line operator.

The top three skills for a vertical lathe operator include cnc vertical, FANUC and quality checks. The most important skills for a line operator are preventative maintenance, PPE, and basic math.

Vertical lathe operator vs line operator overview

	Vertical Lathe Operator	Line Operator
Yearly salary	$37,288	$34,520
Hourly rate	$17.93	$16.60
Growth rate	-8%	7%
Number of jobs	29,497	137,127
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	43	44
Years of experience	2	-

Vertical lathe operator vs line operator salary

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

	Vertical Lathe Operator	Line Operator
Average salary	$37,288	$34,520
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $47,000	Between $27,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	-	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	BD
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between vertical lathe operator and line operator education

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

	Vertical Lathe Operator	Line Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 49%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering Technology	Business
Most common college	-	-

Vertical lathe operator vs line operator demographics

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

	Vertical Lathe Operator	Line Operator
Average age	43	44
Gender ratio	Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8%	Male, 67.6% Female, 32.4%
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, 11.9% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	5%

Differences between vertical lathe operator and line 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.

Line operator example responsibilities.

Follow safety procedures, including but not limit to, wearing proper PPE, lock-out/tag-out, and HAZMAT.
Weld various models of Honda car seats.
Operate foam line for assembly of Toyota Tacoma car seats.
Work the assembly line building car door frames for Chrysler.
Work in high volume production setting, sewing seat covers for Toyota vehicles.
Wear all PPE while manually draining and cleaning of all dip tanks and stations after shift or when production quality lessen.

Vertical lathe operator vs line operator skills

Common vertical lathe operator skills

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

Common line operator skills

Preventative Maintenance, 12%
PPE, 9%
Basic Math, 9%
Extrusion, 8%
Quality Checks, 7%
Assembly Line, 5%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Vertical Lathe Operator
Vertical Lathe Operator vs Line Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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