What You Need to Know About Chemical Plant or System Operator
Occupation Description Control or operate entire chemical processes or system of machines.
Life As a Chemical Plant or System Operator: What Do They Do?
- Start pumps to wash and rinse reactor vessels, to exhaust gases or vapors, to regulate the flow of oil, steam, air, or perfume to towers, or to add products to converter or blending vessels.
- Calculate material requirements or yields according to formulas.
- Repair or replace damaged equipment.
- Supervise the cleaning of towers, strainers, or spray tips.
- Gauge tank levels, using calibrated rods.
- Direct workers engaged in operating machinery that regulates the flow of materials and products.
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Chemical Plant or System Operator Required Skills
Chemical Plant and System Operators state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Other Chemical Plant or System Operator Job Titles
- Furnace Process Plant Operator
- Development Associate
- Front Wash Operator
- Pharmaceutical Operator
- Production Operator
Is There Job Demand for Chemical Plant and System Operators?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 33,200 jobs in the United States for Chemical Plant or System Operator. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Chemical Plant or System Operator. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 2,800 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Chemical Plant or System Operator are South Dakota, North Dakota, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Kentucky, California, or South Carolina. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Chemical Plant or System Operator
Chemical Plant and System Operators make between $34,830 and $88,630 a year.
Chemical Plant and System Operators who work in Wyoming, Texas, or Alabama, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Chemical Plant and System Operators in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $68,800 |
| Arizona | $60,790 |
| Arkansas | $48,360 |
| California | $58,160 |
| Colorado | $49,320 |
| Delaware | $62,910 |
| Florida | $59,080 |
| Georgia | $52,160 |
| Illinois | $66,700 |
| Indiana | $50,040 |
| Iowa | $60,250 |
| Kansas | $54,240 |
| Kentucky | $60,090 |
| Louisiana | $68,150 |
| Maryland | $58,400 |
| Massachusetts | $55,270 |
| Michigan | $54,840 |
| Minnesota | $51,340 |
| Mississippi | $59,920 |
| Montana | $61,240 |
| Nevada | $52,630 |
| New Jersey | $62,880 |
| New York | $56,400 |
| North Carolina | $50,370 |
| Ohio | $60,820 |
| Oregon | $57,220 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,170 |
| Rhode Island | $48,310 |
| South Carolina | $54,470 |
| South Dakota | $48,140 |
| Texas | $69,010 |
| Utah | $57,500 |
| Virginia | $51,040 |
| Washington | $52,690 |
| West Virginia | $63,980 |
| Wisconsin | $56,770 |
| Wyoming | $72,950 |
What Tools & Technology do Chemical Plant and System Operators Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Chemical Plant and System Operators:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Distributed control system DCS
- Interlock shutdown systems
How to Become a Chemical Plant or System Operator
What education is needed to be a Chemical Plant or System Operator?
How Long Does it Take to Become a Chemical Plant or System Operator?
Where do Chemical Plant and System Operators Work?
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Related Careers
Those interested in being a Chemical Plant or System Operator may also be interested in:
Career changers with experience as a Chemical Plant or System Operator sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
- Nuclear Monitoring Technicians
- Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators
- Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
References:
Image Credit: NASA via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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