As a job, is a machinist and a machine operator the same?
Asked by Josie S

Best Answer:
A machinist is a indentured trade person, i.e. Fitter and turner or a sewing machine operator, i.e. A seamstress. They are usually skilled on multi-machines operating within their trades. A machine operator on the other hand are taught on one machine at a time and are regarded as semi skilled or unskilled. Have a good day.

No, a machinist is a trade and often pretty highly paid. A machine operator is unskilled labor like a punch press operator.
Answered by shiprepairwoman

Absolutely NOT!. A machine operator is anyone who operates a machine. It can be something as mundane as running the bottle cap machine at a soda factory. It takes limited time to train a person to do it and they can replace you easily by training another monkey, I mean person, to do the job. Figure minimum wage to 2x minimum wage as a pay range. A machinist is a highly trained worker who can take a blueprint for a part and make it exactly as specified. If you needed a new piston for your car, give him the specifications and he can make one that will work exactly like designed. They can work a variety of machines to get the task done including drill presses, lathes, planers, welders and what have you. Their job is anything but mundane because if they screw up, they can wreck the whole project, not just the part they are making. Figure $60,000 to $200,000 depending upon training, experience and reliability in making the part correctly the first time around.
Answered by Dave