Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders

Median salary

$58,040

Average salary

$60,710

Employment

139,630

Projected growth

3.3% growth

Annual openings

14,400

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders Do

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.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 0.4%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Production and Processingimportance 4.5/5
Chemistryimportance 4.4/5
Mechanicalimportance 4.1/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.7/5
English Languageimportance 3.7/5
Mathematicsimportance 3.5/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.5/5
Law and Governmentimportance 3.3/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7/5
Exposed to Contaminants4.7/5
Exposed to Hazardous Conditions4.5/5
Health and Safety of Other Workers4.5/5
E-Mail4.4/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Conveyor Operators and Tenders98% skill match
Chemical Plant and System Operators95% skill match
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers95% skill match
Nuclear Technicians95% skill match
Gas Plant Operators95% skill match
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers95% skill match
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders95% skill match
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic94% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Operations Monitoringimportance 3.9/5
Operation and Controlimportance 3.9/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.4/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Troubleshootingimportance 3.0/5
Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.0/5
Time Managementimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Cautiousness
Attention to Detail
Dependability
Stress Tolerance
Integrity
Self-Control
Perseverance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
InvestigativeMedium
EnterprisingLow
SocialLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where chemical equipment operators and tenders make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).