Other Production Occupations

How to become a Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setter, Operator or Tender

Official title: Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Also called: Blender, Brewer, Cellar Worker, Digester Cook, Machine Tender, Paper Machine Tender, Pasteurizer, Plant Operator, Pulper Operator, Winemaker

Set up, operate, or tend continuous flow or vat-type equipment; filter presses; shaker screens; centrifuges; condenser tubes; precipitating, fermenting, or evaporating tanks; scrubbing towers; or batch stills. These machines extract, sort, or separate liquids, gases, or solids from other materials to recover a refined product. Includes dairy processing equipment operators.

Main tasks

Monitor material flow or instruments, such as temperature or pressure gauges, indicators, or meters, to ensure optimal processing conditions.
Inspect machines or equipment for hazards, operating efficiency, malfunctions, wear, or leaks.
Set up or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, or pressure.
Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory analysis.
Operate machines to process materials in compliance with applicable safety, energy, or environmental regulations.
Test samples to determine viscosity, acidity, specific gravity, or degree of concentration, using test equipment such as viscometers, pH meters, or hydrometers.
Maintain logs of instrument readings, test results, or shift production for entry in computer databases.
Communicate processing instructions to other workers.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Fourdrinier-Machine Oper.
Apprenticeship: Purification Operator Ii.
Apprenticeship: Recovery Operator (Paper).

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $51,610 a year The middle half earn $44,410 to $63,930.
About 61,400 people work in this job now, and about 57,900 are projected by 2035. (-5.7%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setter, Operator or Tender?

Ways in include: Fourdrinier-Machine Oper.

How much does a Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setter, Operator or Tender earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $51,610 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $44,410 to $63,930.

Is a Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setter, Operator or Tender a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 6% by 2035, from about 61,400 to about 57,900 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setter, Operator or Tender?

Not always. 33% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Fourdrinier-Machine Oper.

Will AI change the work of a Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setter, 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.