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Chemical Plant and System Operators in Washington

Want to work as a Chemical Plant and System Operators in Washington? Here’s what the data says. Control or operate entire chemical processes or system of machines.

$58,280 Median Annual Wage (Washington)

$27,362 National Median Annual Wage

220 Washington Employment

Some Preparation Needed Typical Preparation

What do Chemical Plant and System Operators Make in Washington?

For chemical plant and system operators working in Washington, the typical annual salary is $58,280 per year (or roughly $28.02/hour).Annual wages span from $48,150 at the 10th percentile to $107,790 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$48,150	$23.15
25th percentile	$49,650	$23.87
Median (50th)	$58,280	$28.02
75th percentile	$103,940	$49.97
90th percentile	$107,790	$51.82

Salary ranges for Chemical Plant and System Operators in Washington

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Washington compared to the national average — is 0.53, 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), higher than the Washington median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 180,891 chemical plant and system operators nationwide. In Washington alone, about 220 people work in this role. That’s fewer than the typical state, which employs around 290 chemical plant and system operators.

Forecasted number of jobs for Chemical Plant and System Operators

Top States for Chemical Plant and System Operators Employment

These states have the highest employment of 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

The highest-paying states 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

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

Operations Monitoring 4.1 / 5

Operation and Control 4.0 / 5

Monitoring 3.6 / 5

Quality Control Analysis 3.6 / 5

Critical Thinking 3.5 / 5

Active Listening 3.4 / 5

Knowledge Areas

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

Production and Processing 3.7 / 5

Chemistry 3.7 / 5

Mechanical 3.6 / 5

English Language 3.5 / 5

Public Safety and Security 3.3 / 5

Customer and Personal Service 3.1 / 5

Abilities

Top abilities for chemical plant and system operators, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Problem Sensitivity 3.8 / 5

Near Vision 3.8 / 5

Selective Attention 3.8 / 5

Oral Comprehension 3.6 / 5

Deductive Reasoning 3.6 / 5

Oral Expression 3.6 / 5

Daily Tasks

Chemical Plant and System Operators typically:

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

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel In-demand technologies: Microsoft Excel

Related occupations to chemical plant and system operators include:

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

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