Auxiliary plant operator vs utility plant operative

The differences between auxiliary plant operators and utility plant operatives 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 utility plant operative. Additionally, an auxiliary plant operator has an average salary of $45,592, which is higher than the $42,253 average annual salary of a utility plant operative.

The top three skills for an auxiliary plant operator include LOTO, plant equipment and hand tools. The most important skills for a utility plant operative are plant equipment, auxiliary equipment, and HVAC.

Auxiliary plant operator vs utility plant operative overview

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Utility Plant Operative
Yearly salary	$45,592	$42,253
Hourly rate	$21.92	$20.31
Growth rate	-7%	-7%
Number of jobs	35,335	19,159
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 30%	Associate Degree, 41%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	12	12

Auxiliary plant operator vs utility plant operative salary

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

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Utility Plant Operative
Average salary	$45,592	$42,253
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $64,000	Between $29,000 And $59,000
Highest paying City	-	Highland, CA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Yale University
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between auxiliary plant operator and utility plant operative education

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

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Utility Plant Operative
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 30%	Associate Degree, 41%
Most common major	Industrial Technology	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	Duke University

Auxiliary plant operator vs utility plant operative demographics

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

	Auxiliary Plant Operator	Utility Plant Operative
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6%	Male, 95.5% Female, 4.5%
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, 8.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 1.8% White, 70.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.3%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between auxiliary plant operator and utility plant operative 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.

Utility plant operative example responsibilities.

Maintain buildings HVAC / lighting automation systems and make adjustments as needed for tenant's comfort and to manage energy consumption.
Conduct work in an FDA regulate environment.
Enforce and comply with operational guidelines, OSHA and EPA regulations.
Maintain compliance with state regulators, cGMP, FDA and insurance company.
Last year of employment work include 20 hour each week doing plumbing work exclusively.
Perform some plumbing repairs, minor electrical work, some carpentry, plus general maintenance at plant and offices.

Auxiliary plant operator vs utility plant operative skills

Common auxiliary plant operator skills

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

Common utility plant operative skills

Plant Equipment, 9%
Auxiliary Equipment, 7%
HVAC, 7%
Plant Operations, 6%
Control Systems, 5%
Cooling Towers, 5%

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Auxiliary Plant Operator
Auxiliary Plant Operator vs Utility Plant Operative

Updated January 8, 2025

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