Extractor plant operator vs process plant operator

The differences between extractor plant operators and process plant operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an extractor plant operator has an average salary of $46,470, which is higher than the $41,902 average annual salary of a process plant operator.

The top three skills for an extractor plant operator include extraction, safety practices and distillation. The most important skills for a process plant operator are plant operations, plant process, and minor maintenance.

Extractor plant operator vs process plant operator overview

	Extractor Plant Operator	Process Plant Operator
Yearly salary	$46,470	$41,902
Hourly rate	$22.34	$20.15
Growth rate	-15%	-7%
Number of jobs	34,463	61,085
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	46	47
Years of experience	-	2

Extractor plant operator vs process plant operator salary

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

	Extractor Plant Operator	Process Plant Operator
Average salary	$46,470	$41,902
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $63,000	Between $28,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between extractor plant operator and process plant operator education

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

	Extractor Plant Operator	Process Plant Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Drafting And Design	Business
Most common college	-	-

Extractor plant operator vs process plant operator demographics

Here are the differences between extractor plant operators' and process plant operators' demographics:

	Extractor Plant Operator	Process Plant Operator
Average age	46	47
Gender ratio	Male, 93.3% Female, 6.7%	Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.8% Asian, 1.3% White, 79.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6%	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% Asian, 4.3% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	5%	11%

Differences between extractor plant operator and process plant operator duties and responsibilities

Extractor plant operator example responsibilities.

Maintain buildings HVAC / lighting automation systems and make adjustments as needed for tenant's comfort and to manage energy consumption.
Prepare asphalt mixtures per customer requirements, load and unload tankers and monitor tanks and assist with paperwork
Operate tools, including hoists, saws and drills.

Process plant operator example responsibilities.

Manage distillation process to determine product specification compliance, and prepare unit for shutdown or turnaround process.
Move to the assembly department building electrical panels, installing electrical panels, installing various electrical devices on new centrifuges.
Batch SCC, Shotcrete and other loads to client specifications.

Extractor plant operator vs process plant operator skills

Common extractor plant operator skills

Extraction, 37%
Safety Practices, 35%
Distillation, 28%

Common process plant operator skills

Plant Operations, 30%
Plant Process, 10%
Minor Maintenance, 9%
Plant Equipment, 7%
OSHA, 7%
Continuous Operation, 6%

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Extractor Plant Operator
Extractor Plant Operator vs Process Plant Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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