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Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
Operate or tend equipment to control chemical changes or reactions in the processing of industrial or consumer products. Equipment used includes devulcanizers, steam-jacketed kettles, and reactor vessels.
- Median pay
- $57,090
- per year
- 10-year outlook
- +3.3%
- Stable
- Typical entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
Key skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Speaking
What they do
- Observe safety precautions to prevent fires or explosions.
- Record operational data, such as temperatures, pressures, ingredients used, processing times, or test results.
- Control or operate equipment in which chemical changes or reactions take place during the processing of industrial or consumer products.
- Patrol work areas to detect leaks or equipment malfunctions or to monitor operating conditions.
- Draw samples of products at specified stages so that analyses can be performed.
- Adjust controls to regulate temperature, pressure, feed, or flow of liquids or gases and times of prescribed reactions, according to knowledge of equipment and processes.
- Monitor gauges, recording instruments, flowmeters, or products to ensure that specified conditions are maintained.
- Test product samples for specific gravity, chemical characteristics, pH levels, concentrations, or viscosities, or send them to laboratories for testing.
- Inspect equipment or units to detect leaks or malfunctions, shutting equipment down, if necessary.
- Open valves or start pumps, agitators, reactors, blowers, or automatic feed of materials.
Majors that lead here
No mapped majors yet.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections) and O*NET, used under CC BY 4.0.