Distillation operator vs wet plant operator

The differences between distillation operators and wet plant operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a distillation operator and a wet plant operator. Additionally, a wet plant operator has an average salary of $45,759, which is higher than the $39,855 average annual salary of a distillation operator.

The top three skills for a distillation operator include distillation, hazardous waste and process equipment. The most important skills for a wet plant operator are control room, loaders, and wet plant.

Distillation operator vs wet plant operator overview

	Distillation Operator	Wet Plant Operator
Yearly salary	$39,855	$45,759
Hourly rate	$19.16	$22.00
Growth rate	7%	-7%
Number of jobs	30,452	34,985
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 26%	Diploma, 42%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

Distillation operator vs wet plant operator salary

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

	Distillation Operator	Wet Plant Operator
Average salary	$39,855	$45,759
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $59,000	Between $33,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between distillation operator and wet plant operator education

There are a few differences between a distillation operator and a wet plant operator in terms of educational background:

	Distillation Operator	Wet Plant Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 26%	Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Graphic Design	General Studies
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	Carnegie Mellon University

Distillation operator vs wet plant operator demographics

Here are the differences between distillation operators' and wet plant operators' demographics:

	Distillation Operator	Wet Plant Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8%	Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 4.3% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 4.1% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between distillation operator and wet plant operator duties and responsibilities

Distillation operator example responsibilities.

Help lead the rehabilitation of an idle distillation tower and bring it back to a fully functional operation.
Operate a cold gas distillation column converting waste gas into usable material by separating materials and reacting with caustic.
Conduct routine operating inspections of the unit, troubleshoot operational problems and respond to area emergencies or to changing operational situations.
Perform Lockout/tagout procedures to ensure ADM and contractors safety.
Conduct rig movements during drilling operations.

Wet plant operator example responsibilities.

Manage environmental team planning and maintenance response services.
Prepare asphalt mixtures per customer requirements, load and unload tankers and monitor tanks and assist with paperwork
Operate tools, including hoists, saws and drills.

Distillation operator vs wet plant operator skills

Common distillation operator skills

Distillation, 63%
Hazardous Waste, 11%
Process Equipment, 7%
GC, 4%
RAN, 4%
PLC, 4%

Common wet plant operator skills

Control Room, 29%
Loaders, 25%
Wet Plant, 23%
MSHA, 23%

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Distillation Operator
Distillation Operator vs Wet Plant Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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