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Chemical Plant and System Operators in Ohio

Considering working as a Chemical Plant and System Operators in Ohio? Here’s what you need to know. Control or operate entire chemical processes or system of machines.

What do Chemical Plant and System Operators Make in Ohio?

The chemical plant and system operators working in Ohio, the median annual wage is $65,510 per year (or roughly $31.49/hour).Earnings range from $49,520 at the 10th percentile to $75,780 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$49,520	$23.81
25th percentile	$56,870	$27.34
Median (50th)	$65,510	$31.49
75th percentile	$73,560	$35.37
90th percentile	$75,780	$36.43

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Ohio nationwide is 0.73, meaning fewer chemical plant and system operators per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, chemical plant and system operators earn a median of $27,362 per year ($13.15/hour), above the Ohio median.

Employment Outlook

National employment for 180,891 chemical plant and system operators across the United States. In Ohio alone, approximately 460 people work in this role. That’s higher than the typical state, which employs around 290 chemical plant and system operators.

Top States for Chemical Plant and System Operators Employment

View the states that employ the most chemical plant and system operators work.

State	Number Employed
Louisiana	3,360
Texas	2,980
North Carolina	1,130
Pennsylvania	750
California	590
South Carolina	480
Ohio	460
North Dakota	410
Missouri	370
Utah	330
Maryland	320
New Jersey	320
Wyoming	320
Mississippi	300
Illinois	290
Indiana	290
Tennessee	260
Massachusetts	250
Florida	230
West Virginia	230

Highest-Paying States for Chemical Plant and System Operators

These states pay the most for chemical plant and system operators.

State	Annual Median Salary
North Dakota	$112,970
Wyoming	$104,420
Texas	$99,250
Kentucky	$98,890
Louisiana	$96,500
Maryland	$92,930
New Jersey	$88,550
California	$88,280
Alabama	$84,490
Pennsylvania	$75,660

Skills

Key chemical plant and system operators skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

The abilities that matter most for chemical plant and system operators, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Common tasks include:

• Monitor recording instruments, flowmeters, panel lights, or other indicators and listen for warning signals to verify conformity of process conditions.
• Regulate or shut down equipment during emergency situations, as directed by supervisory personnel.
• Control or operate chemical processes or systems of machines, using panelboards, control boards, or semi-automatic equipment.
• Move control settings to make necessary adjustments on equipment units affecting speeds of chemical reactions, quality, or yields.
• Inspect operating units, such as towers, soap-spray storage tanks, scrubbers, collectors, or driers to ensure that all are functioning and to maintain maximum efficiency.
• Draw samples of products and conduct quality control tests to monitor processing and to ensure that standards are met.
• Record operating data, such as process conditions, test results, or instrument readings.
• Patrol work areas to ensure that solutions in tanks or troughs are not in danger of overflowing.
• Turn valves to regulate flow of products or byproducts through agitator tanks, storage drums, or neutralizer tanks.
• Interpret chemical reactions visible through sight glasses or on television monitors and review laboratory test reports for process adjustments.
• Confer with technical and supervisory personnel to report or resolve conditions affecting safety, efficiency, or product quality.
• 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.

Work Activities

• Getting Information
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Training and Teaching Others
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Working with Computers
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Performing General Physical Activities

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel In-demand technologies: Microsoft Excel

Related Careers

Other careers like chemical plant and system operators include:

• Chemical Engineers
• Chemists
• Chemical Technicians
• Industrial Machinery Mechanics
• Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
• Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Also Known As

Ammonia Still Operator, Ammonia Technician, Badger Distiller Operator, Bucket Wash Operator, Chemical Operator, Chemical Plant Operator, Chemical Process Operator, Chemical Production Operator, Chemical Treatment Plant Technician, Denitrator, Front Wash Operator, Furnace Plant Operator, Furnace Process Plant Operator, Furnace Utility Operator, Hydrogenation Operator.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 51-8091.00