Occupation Profile

Industries Employing

Chemical Plant and System Operators

(SOC Code : 51-8091)

in California

Control or operate an entire chemical process or system of machines.

Employers usually expect an employee in this occupation to be able to do the job after Long-term on-the-job training (> 12 months) .

Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2023	1st Qtr	$44.98	$42.22	$46.56	$52.99

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Total Job Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2018 - 2028	1,600	1,600	0	0.0	1,770

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Within miles of Zip Code.

Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manu

676

10.4%

Scientific Research and Developm

12,892

8.2%

Employment Services

5,110

1.9%

About Staffing Patterns

Training Programs (click on title for more information)

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Program Title

Chemical Technology/Technician

About Training & Apprenticeships

About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Move control settings to make necessary adjustments on equipment units affecting speeds of chemical reactions, quality, or yields.

Monitor recording instruments, flowmeters, panel lights, or other indicators and listen for warning signals, to verify conformity of process conditions.

Control or operate chemical processes or systems of machines, using panelboards, control boards, or semi-automatic equipment.

Record operating data, such as process conditions, test results, or instrument readings.

Confer with technical and supervisory personnel to report or resolve conditions affecting safety, efficiency, or product quality.

Draw samples of products and conduct quality control tests to monitor processing and to ensure that standards are met.

Regulate or shut down equipment during emergency situations, as directed by supervisory personnel.

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.

Interpret chemical reactions visible through sight glasses or on television monitors and review laboratory test reports for process adjustments.

Patrol work areas to ensure that solutions in tanks or troughs are not in danger of overflowing.

More Tasks for Chemical Plant and System Operators

Top Skills used in this Job

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.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

More Skills for Chemical Plant and System Operators

Data for Abilities not available.

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

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