What does a Ride Operator do?
A ride operator is responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the people on motorized riding vehicles. Ride operators provide safety instructions before, during, and after the ride, regular inspection of machines, operating ride controls, assisting the riders with their inquiries, evaluating the riders on the eligibility for some specific passages, and following the restricted quantity riders. A ride operator must have a broad knowledge of the mechanical industry to control machines and perform immediate troubleshooting on emergencies.
Ride operator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real ride operator resumes:
- Operate all ski-lifts on the mt., also run the cash register in the restuarant
- Participate in life guard training sessions which include rescue operations, first aid and CPR procedure.
- Check the quality of snow and the consistency for what are required for the trails as the machines run.
- Inventory -Ran cash register with POS system, snack bar and lazer tag -Opening and closing duties -stock food and supplies
- Practice and successfully attempt CPR and emergency procedures.
- Operate heavy machinery such as bobcat equipment and also operate and pave asphalt perform demolition work.
- Teach skiers and snowboard riders how to use.
- Instruct beginner, intermediate, and advance ski and snowboard students.
Ride operator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 19% of Ride Operators are proficient in Safety Procedures, Customer Service, and Emergency Situations. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Leadership skills, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Ride Operators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Safety Procedures, 19%
Opened and Operated all rides within the park-Provided excellent guest service and favor-Maintained safety procedures and regulations throughout the park
- Customer Service, 18%
Resolved multiple complex park policy discrepancies under pressure while maintaining high-level customer service satisfaction and professionalism.
- Emergency Situations, 9%
Maintained expertise knowledge in safety and operation of riding devices, and responded effectively to emergency situations.
- Guest Service, 7%
Developed communication skills for guest service are used to improve efficiency.
- Safety Regulations, 5%
Provide assistance to patrons entering or exiting amusement rides; including informing them of safety regulations and securing safety devices.
- Excellent Guest, 4%
Promoted excellent guest interaction at all times, provided guests with information regarding the nature of the perspective ride as needed.
"safety procedures," "customer service," and "emergency situations" are among the most common skills that ride operators use at work. You can find even more ride operator responsibilities below, including:
Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a ride operator to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "gambling jobs involve interaction with customers." Ride operators often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "followed strict safety guidelines to ensure a satisfactory customer experience. "
Leadership skills. Another essential skill to perform ride operator duties is leadership skills. Ride operators responsibilities require that "gambling managers and supervisors oversee other gambling services workers and must guide them in doing their jobs and developing their skills." Ride operators also use leadership skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "provided outstanding customer service while ensuring safety of customers on train and carousel processed customer transactions in gift shop leadership"
Math skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of ride operators is math skills. This skill is critical to many everyday ride operator duties, as "because they may deal with large amounts of money, gambling services workers must be good at math." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "analyzed statistics and other data to determine the level of customer service performance achieved by the team"
Organizational skills. ride operator responsibilities often require "organizational skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "gambling managers and supervisors should have an orderly system in place to handle administrative and other tasks for overseeing gambling services workers." This resume example shows what ride operators do with organizational skills on a typical day: "provide organizational support and customer service producing corner boards per customer specifications. "
Patience. Another crucial skill for a ride operator to carry out their responsibilities is "patience." A big part of what ride operators relies on this skill, since "all gambling services workers must stay composed when they encounter a customer who becomes upset or breaks a rule." How this skill relates to ride operator duties can be seen in an example from a ride operator resume snippet: "better patience with children n adults learned to travel on my own skills used communication responsibility customer service"
Communication skills. Lastly, "communication skills" is an important element of what a ride operator does. Ride operator responsibilities require this skill because "gambling services workers must explain the rules of the game to customers and answer their questions." This resume example highlights how ride operator duties rely on this skill: "conduct pre-opening inspections and communication checks, record ride activity logs with attendance/maintenance information, provide customer service. "
The three companies that hire the most ride operators are:
- SSix Flags24 ride operators jobs
- PPalace Entertainment11 ride operators jobs
- SSeaWorld10 ride operators jobs
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Compare different ride operators
Ride operator vs. Golf caddie
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between ride operators and golf caddie. For instance, ride operator responsibilities require skills such as "safety procedures," "emergency situations," "guest service," and "safety regulations." Whereas a golf caddie is skilled in "course knowledge," "world-class customer service," "golf balls," and "golf courses." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Golf caddies really shine in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $28,794. Comparatively, ride operators tend to make the most money in the media industry with an average salary of $28,282.The education levels that golf caddies earn slightly differ from ride operators. In particular, golf caddies are 3.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a ride operator. Additionally, they're 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Ride operator vs. Lodging facilities attendant
Each career also uses different skills, according to real ride operator resumes. While ride operator responsibilities can utilize skills like "guest service," "safety rules," "ride operations," and "safety checks," lodging facilities attendants use skills like "cleanliness," "incident reports," "front desk," and "aed."
On average, lodging facilities attendants earn a lower salary than ride operators. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, lodging facilities attendants earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $27,574. Whereas ride operators have higher pay in the media industry, with an average salary of $28,282.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Lodging facilities attendants tend to reach similar levels of education than ride operators. In fact, they're 2.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Ride operator vs. Caddie
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a ride operator is likely to be skilled in "safety procedures," "emergency situations," "guest service," and "safety regulations," while a typical caddie is skilled in "golf clubs," "course knowledge," "professional relationships," and "golf balls."
Caddies typically earn similar educational levels compared to ride operators. Specifically, they're 1.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Ride operator vs. Beach attendant
Types of ride operator
Updated January 8, 2025
