Auxiliary plant operator vs plant operator

The differences between auxiliary plant operators and plant operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an auxiliary plant operator and a plant operator. Additionally, an auxiliary plant operator has an average salary of $45,592, which is higher than the $42,697 average annual salary of a plant operator.

The top three skills for an auxiliary plant operator include LOTO, plant equipment and hand tools. The most important skills for a plant operator are plant equipment, plant operations, and preventative maintenance.

Auxiliary plant operator vs plant operator overview

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Plant Operator
Yearly salary	$45,592	$42,697
Hourly rate	$21.92	$20.53
Growth rate	-7%	-7%
Number of jobs	35,335	43,388
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 30%	High School Diploma, 34%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	12	12

Auxiliary plant operator vs plant operator salary

Auxiliary plant operators and plant operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Plant Operator
Average salary	$45,592	$42,697
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $64,000	Between $32,000 And $56,000
Highest paying City	-	Sacramento, CA
Highest paying state	-	Idaho
Best paying company	-	NW Natural
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between auxiliary plant operator and plant operator education

There are a few differences between an auxiliary plant operator and a plant operator in terms of educational background:

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Plant Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 30%	High School Diploma, 34%
Most common major	Industrial Technology	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Auxiliary plant operator vs plant operator demographics

Here are the differences between auxiliary plant operators' and plant operators' demographics:

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Plant Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6%	Male, 93.5% Female, 6.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 1.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6%	Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 1.8% White, 70.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between auxiliary plant operator and plant operator duties and responsibilities

Auxiliary plant operator example responsibilities.

Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Perform preventive maintenance with tools in mechanical rooms, HVAC, kitchen, and cooking equipment.
Prepare asphalt mixtures per customer requirements, load and unload tankers and monitor tanks and assist with paperwork
Operate small rotating biological contractor plant that utilize activated sludge with sand filters and UV disinfection to process wastewater.

Plant operator example responsibilities.

Manage and operate the DCS system or control board.
Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Maintain buildings HVAC / lighting automation systems and make adjustments as needed for tenant's comfort and to manage energy consumption.
Used basic math skills to calculate the weight of the ammonia by the price it are per ton.
Operate compressors, scrubbers, pipeline, pumps, coolers, and evaporators to liquefy or compress gas.
Maintain and repair all equipment involve in plant processes to keep within OSHA safety standards and EPA environmental codes.

Auxiliary plant operator vs plant operator skills

Common auxiliary plant operator skills

LOTO, 39%
Plant Equipment, 34%
Hand Tools, 18%
Plant Systems, 7%
Water Pumps, 2%

Common plant operator skills

Plant Equipment, 7%
Plant Operations, 6%
Preventative Maintenance, 5%
Boilers, 5%
Minor Maintenance, 4%
Ladders, 4%

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Auxiliary Plant Operator
Auxiliary Plant Operator vs Plant Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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