High pressure operator vs plant operator

The differences between high pressure operators and plant operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a high pressure operator, becoming a plant operator takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a plant operator has an average salary of $42,697, which is higher than the $40,243 average annual salary of a high pressure operator.

The top three skills for a high pressure operator include inventory control, troubleshoot and HVAC. The most important skills for a plant operator are plant equipment, plant operations, and preventative maintenance.

High pressure operator vs plant operator overview

	High Pressure Operator	Plant Operator
Yearly salary	$40,243	$42,697
Hourly rate	$19.35	$20.53
Growth rate	4%	-7%
Number of jobs	33,575	43,388
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	High School Diploma, 34%
Average age	50	47
Years of experience	2	12

High pressure operator vs plant operator salary

High pressure operators and plant operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	High Pressure Operator	Plant Operator
Average salary	$40,243	$42,697
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $52,000	Between $32,000 And $56,000
Highest paying City	-	Sacramento, CA
Highest paying state	-	Idaho
Best paying company	-	NW Natural
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between high pressure operator and plant operator education

There are a few differences between a high pressure operator and a plant operator in terms of educational background:

	High Pressure Operator	Plant Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	High School Diploma, 34%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

High pressure operator vs plant operator demographics

Here are the differences between high pressure operators' and plant operators' demographics:

	High Pressure Operator	Plant Operator
Average age	50	47
Gender ratio	Male, 86.4% Female, 13.6%	Male, 93.5% Female, 6.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 1.8% White, 70.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5%
LGBT Percentage	4%	5%

Differences between high pressure operator and plant operator duties and responsibilities

High pressure operator example responsibilities.

Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Prepare asphalt mixtures per customer requirements, load and unload tankers and monitor tanks and assist with paperwork
Perform shift operations on a high pressure boiler and alcohol distillation plant on a part-time, on-call, and casual basis.
Operate a continuous recovery distillation process.
Operate 600 ton anhydrous ammonia refrigeration system.

Plant operator example responsibilities.

Manage and operate the DCS system or control board.
Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Maintain buildings HVAC / lighting automation systems and make adjustments as needed for tenant's comfort and to manage energy consumption.
Used basic math skills to calculate the weight of the ammonia by the price it are per ton.
Operate compressors, scrubbers, pipeline, pumps, coolers, and evaporators to liquefy or compress gas.
Maintain and repair all equipment involve in plant processes to keep within OSHA safety standards and EPA environmental codes.

High pressure operator vs plant operator skills

Common high pressure operator skills

Inventory Control, 23%
Troubleshoot, 20%
HVAC, 8%
Log Book, 8%
OSHA, 8%
Equipment Operation, 8%

Common plant operator skills

Plant Equipment, 7%
Plant Operations, 6%
Preventative Maintenance, 5%
Boilers, 5%
Minor Maintenance, 4%
Ladders, 4%

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High Pressure Operator
High Pressure Operator vs Plant Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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