Water jet operator vs laser operator

The differences between water jet operators and laser operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a water jet operator, becoming a laser operator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a water jet operator has an average salary of $35,007, which is higher than the $34,813 average annual salary of a laser operator.

The top three skills for a water jet operator include cnc machines, calipers and hand tools. The most important skills for a laser operator are laser cutting, calipers, and laser machine.

Water jet operator vs laser operator overview

	Water Jet Operator	Laser Operator
Yearly salary	$35,007	$34,813
Hourly rate	$16.83	$16.74
Growth rate	-7%	-8%
Number of jobs	53,663	56,479
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	47	43
Years of experience	12	2

Water jet operator vs laser operator salary

Water jet operators and laser operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Water Jet Operator	Laser Operator
Average salary	$35,007	$34,813
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $43,000	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 water jet operator and laser operator education

There are a few differences between a water jet operator and a laser operator in terms of educational background:

	Water Jet Operator	Laser Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Duke University	-

Water jet operator vs laser operator demographics

Here are the differences between water jet operators' and laser operators' demographics:

	Water Jet Operator	Laser Operator
Average age	47	43
Gender ratio	Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8%	Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 1.8% White, 71.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.3%	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	5%	6%

Differences between water jet operator and laser operator duties and responsibilities

Water jet operator example responsibilities.

Used Omax machine to cut parts to fill orders, handle material, certify as a forklift operator.
Update and sign-off on job tickets at the conclusion of each job.Skills UsedDirect mail experience or knowledge of USPS regulations.
Perform preventative maintenance and troubleshooting of Omax machine.
Operate heavy machinery such as bobcat equipment and also operate and pave asphalt perform demolition work.
Dye setting and machine set up.

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.

Water jet operator vs laser operator skills

Common water jet operator skills

CNC Machines, 17%
Calipers, 15%
Hand Tools, 15%
Tape Measure, 11%
Cranes, 11%
General Maintenance, 6%

Common laser operator skills

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