Create Your Machine Operation
Resume in 5 Easy Steps

  • Step 1: Add Contact Info

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  • Step 2: Include Work Experience Details

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  • Step 3: Provide Education Details

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  • Step 4: Select Your Skills

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  • Step 5: Fill in Your Background

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Get Expert Writing Recommendations for Your Machine Operation Resume

Our machine operation resumes are designed to show you exactly how to write, design and format a document that will get you noticed. To help you create your own resume, use LiveCareer’s Resume Builder, which makes pre-written content suggestions, written by our team of certified resume writers.

Here are some suggestions our builder might make for your machine operation resume:

  • Used hand trucks, forklifts and scissor lifts to complete tasks and transport items.
  • Visually inspected devices for defects.
  • Tested components, assemblies and power tools for proper functionality.
  • Monitored equipment to prevent accidents and enhance job site safety.

6 Dos and Don’ts for Writing a Machine Operation Resume

  • Do specify the machinery you have worked with. You may be applying to operate a CNC machine, but if a potential employer uses a forklift on the site and you can drive one, noting this ability may distinguish you from other applicants.
  • Do highlight your commitment to safe machine operation. Improperly operating machinery can cost employers money, so note any statistics demonstrating your safety practices, such as a certain number of days you worked without a machinery mishap. You should also add any specific safety courses you have completed.
  • Do show your computer experience. Even if your work history only includes working with machines that are more mechanical than electronic, do show any familiarity you have with computers. This may help recruiters see your potential for learning to operate computer-controlled machines.
  • Don’t use obscure acronyms. Some industries use these widely, such as CNC for computer numerically controlled, but mentioning jargon or acronyms not commonly used will likely only cloud your resume and diminish your distinction. If in doubt, spell it out.
  • Don’t omit maintenance experience. The job is to operate machinery, but workers also need to keep the machines in top running condition. Showing any machine maintenance, as well as any assembly and disassembly experience, can help your resume stand out.
  • Don’t underestimate a team spirit. Machine operation is often an independent job, but some employers may run a more team-oriented dynamic by having workers rotate among different machines. Showing how you have cooperated well with others in a team setting can help distinguish you from other applicants.

Beat the ATS with These Machine Operation Resume Skills

Machines can make life better or cause problems, depending on your experience. The job-seeking world is no exception. For recruiters and hiring managers, applicant tracking systems (ATS), or automated software programs that screen resumes for certain keywords and skills, simplify their work by eliminating job seekers without qualifications. However, applicants lacking resumes ready for ATS will only experience roadblocks to their job search.

With Resume Builder, you will identify a combination of machine operation skills and keywords that are right for your resume and fit your individual experience. Below are samples of what the Resume Builder might suggest:

  • Equipment maintenance
  • CNC
  • Certified forklift operator
  • Blueprint comprehension
  • Machine alignment
  • Physically fit

Machine Operation Resumes for Every Professional Level

Entry-Level

Stoker

Job seekers who apply for entry-level positions often do not have much work experience. For these applicants, using a functional format for the resume effectively demonstrates qualifications to the hiring manager. This format focuses on relevant skills in the first part of the resume and moves on to work history.

In this example, the applicant starts with a list of brief skills and then emphasizes professional skills. The job seeker breaks this section into technical skills, physical strength and problem-solving categories and gives specific illustrations for each. Build my Resume

Mid-Career

Wiring Technician

Once an applicant has a certain number of years of experience in the machine operation industry, a combination format makes a better choice for the resume. This format focuses on both pertinent qualifications and work experience to show the hiring manager the depth of experience the applicant has accumulated.

This job seeker showcases relevant skills in the upper part of the resume. He goes on to illustrate how he used these skills on the job in the work history section. This format allows both aspects of this background to shine. Build my Resume

Executive-Level

Frac Operator

When a worker has extensive employment experience, a hiring manager will typically focus on career trajectory and the experiences the applicant has had in each role. This frac operator resume example uses a chronological format, in which the job seeker emphasizes his extensive work history.

In the professional summary, the applicant uses words such as “leadership” and “training” to demonstrate experience. And the work history section clearly outlines the applicant’s increased levels of responsibility and the impact his work has had through the use of metrics. Build my Resume

Recommended
Machine Operation Cover Letter

If you find this sample helpful, we have many more machine operation cover letter examples.

Build my Cover Letter

Resume Success Stories

Statistics and Facts About Machine Operation Jobs

Median Annual Income by Job Title

Metal and Plastic Machine Operator$36990 per year (2019)
Machinist$45750 per year (2019)
Material Moving Machine Operator$35850 per year (2019)
025K50K
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Job Outlook (2018–2028)

Metal and Plastic Machine Operator$8 decline (reduction, no growth)
Machinist$1 (little or no growth)
Material Moving Machine Operator$4 (average growth)
0510
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Popular Job Titles

  • Machine operator
  • Machine tender
  • Machine setter
  • Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machine operator
  • Machinist
  • Forklift Operator
  • Conveyor Operator

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Minimum Level of Education Required

  • Metal and plastic machine operator: High school diploma plus on-the-job training
  • Machinist: High school diploma plus on-the-job training
  • Material moving machine operator: Typically on-the-job training

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Gender Diversity in the HR Workforce (2017)

Metal and Plastic Machine Operator

Male83.1%
Average Male Salary$36,807 per year
Female16.9%
Average Female Salary$27,085 per year
025K50K

Machinist

Male95.2%
Average Male Salary$49,886 per year
Female4.77%
Average Female Salary$32,421 per year
025K50K

Material Moving Machine Operator

Male91.7%
Average Male Salary$34,984 per year
Female8.28%
Average Female Salary$32,877 per year
025K50K
Source: DataUSA

Racial and Ethnic Diversity (2018)

Machine Tool Cutting Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic (2017)

White76.8%
Black10.9%
Other6.25%
Asian2.47%
Two or More Races2.82%
American Indian0.75%
050100

Machinist (2018)

White83.98%
Black5.46%
Other4.8%
Asian3.79%
Two or More Races1.43%
American Indian0.39%
050100

Industrial Truck & Tractor Operators (2018)

White (including 18.4% Hispanic)60.8%
Black24.15%
Other9.23%
Asian2.1%
Two or More Races2.68%
American Indian0.49%
050100
Source: DataUSA

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