DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA
51-8091 Chemical Plant and System Operators
Occupational Description:
Control or operate entire chemical processes or system of machines.| Percentiles | |||||||||
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| Geography | Employment | Emp SE* | Mean | Mean SE* | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
| Minnesota | 1,460 | 387 | $25.52/hr | $0.84/hr | $15.73/hr | $19.99/hr | $25.28/hr | $30.14/hr | $36.84/hr |
| U S | 28,840 | 1,413 | $30.60/hr | $0.37/hr | $17.23/hr | $22.73/hr | $30.51/hr | $38.23/hr | $45.49/hr |
| *SE = Standard error, a measure of the statistical reliability of the estimate. | |||||||||
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| Occupation (click title for details) | OES | Projections | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | Median Wage | % Change 2023 - 2025 | |
| Water and Liquid Waste Treatment Plant and System Operators | 3,130 | $27.85/hr | -0.3% |
| Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 1,200 | $19.10/hr | 1.0% |
| Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders | 730 | $19.66/hr | -0.8% |
| Etchers and Engravers | 300 | $16.51/hr | 1.4% |
| Gas Plant Operators | 170 | $34.39/hr | 0.0% |
| Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders | 150 | $22.34/hr | N/A |
| Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers | 100 | $20.25/hr | 1.1% |
| Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | N/A | $30.42/hr | 1.2% |
Tasks for Chemical Plant and System Operators
- Turns valves to regulate flow of product or byproducts through agitator tanks, storage drums, or neutralizer tanks, according to process.
- Moves control settings to make control adjustments on equipment units affecting speed of chemical reactions and quality and yield.
- Interprets chemical reactions visible through sight glasses or on television monitor and reviews laboratory test reports for process adjustments.
- Records operating data, such as process conditions, test results, and instruments readings, calculating material requirements or yield according to formulas.
- Manually regulates or shuts down equipment during emergency situations, as directed by supervisory personnel.
- Draws samples of products and conducts quality control tests to monitor processing and ensure standards are met.
- Confers with technical and supervisory personnel to report or resolve conditions affecting safety, efficiency, and product quality.
- Inspects equipment for potential and actual hazards, wear, leaks, and other conditions requiring maintenance shutdown.
- Notifies maintenance, stationary-engineering, and other auxiliary personnel to correct equipment malfunction and adjust power, steam, water, or air supply.
- Gauges tank levels, using calibrated rod.
- Patrols work area to observe level of carbon in thickener tank and wash solutions in overflow troughs to prevent spills.
- Defrosts frozen valves, using steam hose.
- Monitors recording instruments, flowmeters, panel lights, and other indicators, and listens for warning signals to verify conformity of process conditions.
- Starts pumps to wash and rinse reactor vessels, to exhaust gases and vapors, and to mix product with water.
