Vertical lathe operator vs machine set up operator

The differences between vertical lathe operators and machine 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 machine set up operator. Additionally, a vertical lathe operator has an average salary of $37,288, which is higher than the $35,823 average annual salary of a machine set up operator.

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

Vertical lathe operator vs machine set up operator overview

	Vertical Lathe Operator	Machine Set Up Operator
Yearly salary	$37,288	$35,823
Hourly rate	$17.93	$17.22
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	29,497	61,986
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Vertical lathe operator vs machine set up operator salary

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

	Vertical Lathe Operator	Machine Set Up Operator
Average salary	$37,288	$35,823
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $47,000	Between $28,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	-	Holyoke, MA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	ABB
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between vertical lathe operator and machine set up operator education

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

	Vertical Lathe Operator	Machine Set Up 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 machine set up operator demographics

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

	Vertical Lathe Operator	Machine Set Up Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8%	Male, 86.5% Female, 13.5%
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 machine 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.

Machine set up operator example responsibilities.

Perform trial runs on new CNC programs, working with programming and tooling to achieve satisfactory parts.
Used micrometers and calipers to determine require tolerances.
Follow ISO and QS standard operating procedures.
Panel control, fanuc control, & dynapath.
Run machines after setup, inspect parts run.
Work on CNC OKUMA machines, horizontals and verticals.

Vertical lathe operator vs machine set up operator skills

Common vertical lathe operator skills

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

Common machine set up operator skills

CNC Machines, 13%
Calipers, 10%
Micrometers, 9%
CNC Lathes, 6%
Quality Checks, 5%
Math, 5%

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Vertical Lathe Operator
Vertical Lathe Operator vs Machine Set Up Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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