How to become a Chemical Equipment Operator or Tender

Official title: Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders

Also called: Chemical Operator (Chemical Tech), Chemical Process Operator, Chemical Reactor Operator, Chlorination Operator, Multiskill Operator, Outside Operator, Process Equipment Operator, Process Operator, Spray Dry Operator

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.

Main 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.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Chemical Operator Iii.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $58,040 a year The middle half earn $45,970 to $74,080.
• About 140,800 people work in this job now, and about 145,800 are projected by 2035. (+3.6%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
• Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Cutters and Trimmers, Hand
• Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Chemical Equipment Operator or Tender?

Ways in include: Chemical Operator Iii.

How much does a Chemical Equipment Operator or Tender earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $58,040 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $45,970 to $74,080.

Is a Chemical Equipment Operator or Tender a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4% by 2035, from about 140,800 to about 145,800 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Chemical Equipment Operator or Tender?

Not always. 33% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Chemical Operator Iii.

Will AI change the work of a Chemical Equipment Operator or Tender?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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.