Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between chemical operators and chemical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chemical engineer has an average salary of $89,449, which is higher than the $40,526 average annual salary of a chemical operator.
The top three skills for a chemical operator include safety procedures, math and process equipment. The most important skills for a chemical engineer are chemistry, technical support, and co-op.
| Chemical Operator | Chemical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $40,526 | $89,449 |
| Hourly rate | $19.48 | $43.00 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 36,522 | 42,176 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Average age | 47 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | - |
A chemical operator is responsible for maintaining heavy machines and equipment for chemical processing operations. Chemical operators inspect machinery for any malfunctions, perform immediate repairs, and replace defective components as needed to ensure the equipment's safety and efficiency. They carefully handle chemicals, observe the mixing process, and support process development by assisting on strategic procedures to maximize productivity and plan initiatives. A chemical operator must adhere to the safety protocols of the production, especially on storing chemicals, recording information to the database, and operating machines.
A chemical engineer provides support for chemical operations and testing new processes. The processes they successfully come up with are used to make different products from gas, oil, food, and drink. It is their job to assist in designing new chemical processes and make improvements. They implement fresh ideas to improve standard quality and efficiency. They must be good planners and schedulers of project activities to help chemical technicians to achieve their project objectives and provide technical support to maintain safe, stable, and reliable operations.
Chemical operators and chemical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chemical Operator | Chemical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $40,526 | $89,449 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $51,000 | Between $67,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Sugar Land, TX |
| Highest paying state | New York | Texas |
| Best paying company | Westinghouse Appliances Australia | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Energy |
There are a few differences between a chemical operator and a chemical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Chemical Operator | Chemical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Business | Chemical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between chemical operators' and chemical engineers' demographics:
| Chemical Operator | Chemical Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9% | Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 4.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 21.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 9% |