Production
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
$58,040
Growth to 2035
+4%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
13,900
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Chemical equipment operators and tenders
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to chemical equipment operators and tenders
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Chemical equipment operators and tenders: 54% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Observe safety precautions to prevent fires or explosions.
- Patrol work areas to detect leaks or equipment malfunctions or to monitor operating conditions.
- Monitor gauges, recording instruments, flowmeters, or products to ensure that specified conditions are maintained.
- Inspect equipment or units to detect leaks or malfunctions, shutting equipment down, if necessary.
- Record operational data, such as temperatures, pressures, ingredients used, processing times, or test results.
- Draw samples of products at specified stages so that analyses can be performed.
- Measure, weigh, and mix chemical ingredients, according to specifications.
- Open valves or start pumps, agitators, reactors, blowers, or automatic feed of materials.
Also called: Chemical Operator (Chemical Tech) · Chemical Process Operator · Chemical Reactor Operator · Chlorination Operator · Multiskill Operator · Outside Operator · Process Equipment Operator · Process Operator
Outlook and AI
Chemical equipment operators and tenders held 140,800 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 145,800 by 2035 (+4%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
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