Careers / Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders

Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$58,040

United States, 2025

Employment

139,630

United States, 2025

Typical education

Not recorded

Job Zone 2

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

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.

O*NET code
51-9011.00
Job zone
2
Experience required
None

Typical tasks

  • Inventory supplies received and consumed.
  • 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.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$37,440
10th
$45,970
25th
$58,040
Median
$74,080
75th
$92,250
90th

10th percentile

$37,440

25th percentile

$45,970

75th percentile

$74,080

90th percentile

$92,250

Most important skills

  • Operation and Control3.9
  • Operations Monitoring3.8
  • Monitoring3.6
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.1
  • Reading Comprehension3.1
  • Time Management3.1
  • Critical Thinking3.0
  • Writing3.0
  • Complex Problem Solving3.0
  • Active Listening3.0
  • Speaking2.9
  • Active Learning2.9

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 10 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

10

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Operation and Control3.93.9Not selected3.9
Operations Monitoring3.83.8Not selected3.8
Monitoring3.63.1Not selected3.1
Judgment and Decision Making3.13.0Not selected3.0
Reading Comprehension3.13.0Not selected3.0
Time Management3.13.0Not selected3.0
Critical Thinking3.03.0Not selected3.0
Writing3.03.0Not selected3.0
Complex Problem Solving3.03.0Not selected3.0
Active Listening3.03.0Not selected3.0

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
WY$101,5902902025
Beaumont, TX$96,7901,5402025
New Orleans, LA$94,4501,3302025
Baton Rouge, LA$93,9202,5002025
Corpus Christi, TX$91,5604502025
Mobile, AL$84,7407002025
Montgomery, AL$84,3601602025
Decatur, AL$82,1707602025
Gulfport, MS$82,0502902025
Albany, OR$81,1901402025
AL$80,3303,2802025
MT$79,570402025
Houston, TX$79,4309,3902025
LA$78,5806,4302025
Charleston, WV$77,6702802025
ID$77,1005502025
Longview, WA$76,3901102025
Kennewick, WA$75,9901202025
Lake Charles, LA$74,2201,3202025
Washington, DC$72,6605902025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

Build a transition comparison

Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.