Chemical Plant and System Operators
What Chemical Plant and System Operators Do
Control or operate entire chemical processes or system of machines.
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
- Not available
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job 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 3.7/5
- Chemistryimportance 3.7/5
- Mechanicalimportance 3.6/5
- English Languageimportance 3.5/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.3/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.1/5
- Mathematicsimportance 2.9/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 2.6/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams5.0/5
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
- Exposed to Hazardous Conditions4.9/5
- Exposed to Contaminants4.8/5
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.8/5
- Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled4.8/5
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.
- Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers98% skill match
- Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders95% skill match
- Gas Plant Operators95% skill match
- Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders95% skill match
- Nuclear Technicians94% skill match
- Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic94% skill match
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers94% skill match
- Conveyor Operators and Tenders94% 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 4.1/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 4.0/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.6/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.3/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.3/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.3/5
- Coordinationimportance 2.9/5
- Troubleshootingimportance 2.9/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Alarm management system software
- Coordinated incident management system CIMS software
- Distributed control system DCS
- Interlock shutdown systems
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Cautiousness
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- 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
- ConventionalHigh
- 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 plant and system operators make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Lake Charles, LA68.50× national avg
- 2Baton Rouge, LA39.39× national avg
- 3New Orleans-Metairie, LA9.59× national avg
- 4Mobile, AL6.12× national avg
- 5Spartanburg, SC5.61× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and GaugersLateral Move
- Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersLateral Move
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsLateral Move
- Power Plant OperatorsLateral Move
See the full career path from Chemical Plant and System Operators →
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.