Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers vs Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: Similar Pay, 5% vs 1.5% Growth

Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers vs Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: what changes?

Consider Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers if you want to assemble or modify electrical or electronic equipment, such as computers, test equipment telemetering systems, electric motors, and batteries. Consider Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders if you would rather set up, operate, or tend machines, such as glass-forming machines, plodder machines, and tuber machines, to shape and form products such as glassware, food, rubber, soap, brick, tile, clay, wax, tobacco, or…. Entry credentials differ: Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers, specialty requirements need verification; Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, high school diploma or equivalent.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers and Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

The labor-market benchmark for Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers covers the broader BLS group Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers (51-2028). It does not isolate this specialty.

Compare the practical differences

Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers

National median pay (2025): $45,850
Route into the job: specialty-specific preparation that needs verification with programs and employers; the broader BLS occupation's education category is not a verified route for this specialty
Prior related experience: Prior experience requirements need verification for this occupation.
Training and licensing: Verify the specialty's training, licensing, and full preparation time with an accredited program or employer.
Work to investigate: Read and interpret schematic drawings, diagrams, blueprints, specifications, work orders, or reports to determine materials requirements or assembly instructions.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 25,900

Know before you choose

Deadline pressure is a recurring condition rather than an occasional emergency.

See the full Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers brief

Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

National median pay (2025): $45,760
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Adjust machine components to regulate speeds, pressures, and temperatures, and amounts, dimensions, and flow of materials or ingredients.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 5,200

Know before you choose

The work can involve real occupational hazards. Training, protective equipment, and routine safety discipline matter every day.

See the full Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders brief

How the national numbers differ

Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers has the edge on annual openings

Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers is at 25,900 annual openings, compared with 5,200 annual openings for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers has the edge on projected growth

Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers is at 5% projected growth, compared with 1.5% projected growth for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

National pay benchmarks are very similar.

Compare actual offers, expected paid hours, schedule, and benefits before treating either career as the higher-paying option.

60.1/ 100

Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers

42.9/ 100

Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers vs Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Dimension	Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers	Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Median pay (2025)	$45,850	$45,760
Pay percentile	19.8 percentile	19.4 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	5%	1.5%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	25,900	5,200
2025 employment	246,300	58,300
How you qualify	specialty-specific preparation that needs verification with programs and employers; the broader BLS occupation's education category is not a verified route for this specialty	High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	Prior experience requirements need verification for this occupation.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	Verify the specialty's training, licensing, and full preparation time with an accredited program or employer.	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers brief Read Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders brief

Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers vs Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers

Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

How the national numbers differ

Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers has the edge on annual openings

Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers has the edge on projected growth

National pay benchmarks are very similar.

Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers vs Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

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Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders vs Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers