Fermentation operator vs chemical operator

The differences between fermentation operators and chemical operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a fermentation operator has an average salary of $42,116, which is higher than the $40,526 average annual salary of a chemical operator.

The top three skills for a fermentation operator include harvest, fermenters and GMP. The most important skills for a chemical operator are safety procedures, math, and process equipment.

Fermentation operator vs chemical operator overview

	Fermentation Operator	Chemical Operator
Yearly salary	$42,116	$40,526
Hourly rate	$20.25	$19.48
Growth rate	-7%	4%
Number of jobs	27,763	36,522
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	High School Diploma, 35%
Average age	42	47
Years of experience	-	6

Fermentation operator vs chemical operator salary

Fermentation operators and chemical operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fermentation Operator	Chemical Operator
Average salary	$42,116	$40,526
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $60,000	Between $31,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Westinghouse Appliances Australia
Best paying industry	-	Pharmaceutical

Differences between fermentation operator and chemical operator education

There are a few differences between a fermentation operator and a chemical operator in terms of educational background:

	Fermentation Operator	Chemical Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	High School Diploma, 35%
Most common major	Microbiology	Business
Most common college	-	Stanford University

Fermentation operator vs chemical operator demographics

Here are the differences between fermentation operators' and chemical operators' demographics:

	Fermentation Operator	Chemical Operator
Average age	42	47
Gender ratio	Male, 91.3% Female, 8.7%	Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 1.5% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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%
LGBT Percentage	8%	11%

Differences between fermentation operator and chemical operator duties and responsibilities

Fermentation operator example responsibilities.

Manage distillation process to determine product specification compliance, and prepare unit for shutdown or turnaround process.
Monitor equipment and process; troubleshoot mechanical and electrical problems that affect quality or production and direct maintenance in repairs.
Move to the assembly department building electrical panels, installing electrical panels, installing various electrical devices on new centrifuges.

Chemical operator example responsibilities.

Manage multiple large volume fermentation tanks simultaneously.
Add dye to chemical to be mix.
Mix chemicals together to make a base for dye.
License by the NRC for operation of facility reactor.
Provide the QC lab with batch samples as instructed by formula cards for quality disposition.
Use Hmi's to control the product being make and sending it to storage tanks.

Fermentation operator vs chemical operator skills

Common fermentation operator skills

Harvest, 58%
Fermenters, 12%
GMP, 8%
PLC, 6%
Process Equipment, 4%
Troubleshoot, 4%

Common chemical operator skills

Safety Procedures, 8%
Math, 5%
Process Equipment, 5%
Basic Math, 4%
Minor Maintenance, 4%
Troubleshoot, 4%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Fermentation Operator
Fermentation Operator vs Chemical Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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