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Chemical plant operations technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a chemical plant operations technician. Chemical plant operations technicians usually study electrical engineering technology, chemistry, or management. 36% of chemical plant operations technicians hold a associate degree, and 32% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 41 real chemical plant operations technician resumes to see exactly what chemical plant operations technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for chemical plant operations technicians are the Nicholls State University and the Nicholls State University.

There are also many online chemical plant operations technician courses to help get the education required to be a chemical plant operations technician.

What education do you need to become a chemical plant operations technician?

What degree do you need to be a chemical plant operations technician?

The most common degree for chemical plant operations technicians is associate degree, with 36% of chemical plant operations technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 32% and bachelor's degree degree at 23%.
  • Associate, 36%
  • Bachelor's, 32%
  • High School Diploma, 23%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a chemical plant operations technician?

You should major in electrical engineering technology to become a chemical plant operations technician. 15% of chemical plant operations technicians major in electrical engineering technology. Other common majors for a chemical plant operations technician include chemistry and management.

Most common colleges for chemical plant operations technicians

Chemical plant operations technicians often get their degrees at Nicholls State University, Ohio University, and University of Puerto Rico - Arecibo. Here are the most common colleges for chemical plant operations technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Chemical plant operations technician common collegePercentages
Nicholls State University11.11%
Ohio University11.11%
University of Puerto Rico - Arecibo11.11%
Mississippi College11.11%
University of Phoenix11.11%

Best majors for chemical plant operations technicians

Best colleges for chemical plant operations technicians

The best colleges for chemical plant operations technicians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Yale University.

A chemical plant operations technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for chemical plant operations technicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become chemical plant operations technicians.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

4. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

9. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

10. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

20 best online courses for chemical plant operations technicians

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15. Operations Management A-Z: Business Processes and Systems

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17. MBA: Supply Chain and Operation management

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18. Centrifugal pumps: Principles , Operation and Design

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Top 10 most affordable universities for chemical plant operations technicians

The most affordable schools for chemical plant operations technicians are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and florida state university.

If the best universities for chemical plant operations technicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for chemical plant operations technicians.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

7. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chemical plant operations technicians

The hardest universities for chemical plant operations technicians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Yale University.

Some great schools for chemical plant operations technicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for chemical plant operations technicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

8. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chemical plant operations technicians

The easiest schools for chemical plant operations technicians to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, wayland baptist university, and la roche college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chemical plant operations technician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for chemical plant operations technicians.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

8. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

9. Clarke University

Dubuque, IA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,058

10. Waynesburg University

Waynesburg, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,080

Average chemical plant operations technician salary by education level

Chemical plant operations technician education levelChemical plant operations technician salary
High School Diploma or Less$40,762

Chemical plant operations technician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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