Boiler plant operator vs operator

The differences between boiler plant operators and operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a boiler plant operator, becoming an operator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a boiler plant operator has an average salary of $46,119, which is higher than the $37,928 average annual salary of an operator.

The top three skills for a boiler plant operator include plant equipment, boiler water and auxiliary equipment. The most important skills for an operator are safety procedures, CDL, and emergency calls.

Boiler plant operator vs operator overview

	Boiler Plant Operator	Operator
Yearly salary	$46,119	$37,928
Hourly rate	$22.17	$18.23
Growth rate	4%	7%
Number of jobs	36,427	159,077
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	50	43
Years of experience	2	4

What does a boiler plant operator do?

A boiler plant operator is primarily in charge of operating and monitoring boilers to ensure they function safely and efficiently. Their daily responsibilities often include starting and shutting down boilers, conducting safety and maintenance inspections, tracking the water levels and gauges, checking fuel supplies, and recording daily readings while adhering to the protocols and standards. There are also times when they must perform basic repairs and adjustments, control the pressure and chemical levels, inspect fluids, and produce regular progress reports for managers.

What does an operator do?

Operators are skilled workers who are in charge of working on an industrial machine or a specific aspect of the manufacturing business. They are trained to operate machines, learning how to use them. They are also responsible for the maintenance and repair of the machine, and they should be able to troubleshoot problems and provide remedies to them. They must be knowledgeable about the different parts of the machine and how to mitigate any challenges that may arise. Operators should be alert, detail-oriented, and familiar with safety and health guidelines.

Boiler plant operator vs operator salary

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

	Boiler Plant Operator	Operator
Average salary	$46,119	$37,928
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $65,000	Between $27,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	North Dakota
Best paying company	Gillette	Microsoft
Best paying industry	Health Care	Technology

Differences between boiler plant operator and operator education

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

	Boiler Plant Operator	Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians	Business
Most common college	-	-

Boiler plant operator vs operator demographics

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

	Boiler Plant Operator	Operator
Average age	50	43
Gender ratio	Male, 97.9% Female, 2.1%	Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 8.2% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 16.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between boiler plant operator and operator duties and responsibilities

Boiler plant operator example responsibilities.

Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Install preventative maintenance programs and perform maintenance which include: electrical, plumbing, electronics etc.
Conduct maintenance repair of plumbing systems throughout university.
Prepare asphalt mixtures per customer requirements, load and unload tankers and monitor tanks and assist with paperwork
Attend shipboard firefighting school at NDCTC Philadelphia.
Work in law enforcement, corrections, quality control and shipboard firefighting instructor while on shore duty.

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Operator example responsibilities.

Assist in developing the company s short and long term training plans and managing yearly ammunition allocation.
Assist and manage the extrusion process of polyester raw material in pellet or chip form to produce finish rolls of plastic.
Manage day-to-day transportation and logistics services for multinational account base.
Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Job require basic math skills: fractions and decimals.
Ensure safety of all equipment during production in compliance with strict OSHA and safety regulations.

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Boiler plant operator vs operator skills

Common boiler plant operator skills

Plant Equipment, 11%
Boiler Water, 10%
Auxiliary Equipment, 10%
Water Pumps, 8%
Fuel Oil, 7%
HVAC, 6%

Common operator skills

Safety Procedures, 15%
CDL, 6%
Emergency Calls, 6%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%
Quality Checks, 4%
Dozer, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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