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The differences between junior operators and senior 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 junior operator, becoming a senior operator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior operator has an average salary of $85,677, which is higher than the $37,735 average annual salary of a junior operator.
The top three skills for a junior operator include frac, safety rules and pallets. The most important skills for a senior operator are safety procedures, math, and powerpoint.
| Junior Operator | Senior Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $37,735 | $85,677 |
| Hourly rate | $18.14 | $41.19 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 49,016 | 45,548 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 40 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Junior operators ensure efficient, reliable, and safe operation of assigned areas by following operating discipline practices, procedures, policies, standards, and principles. They enable good functional discipline for each activity, both unplanned and planned, and monitor key performance metrics, control systems, process conditions, and equipment systems. Also, they make reliable decisions to achieve and maintain the right conditions or rates as per the site goals. These professionals perform scheduled operational tasks, related tasks, and other tasks that arise because of handling unplanned events.
Senior Operators are responsible for managing the operations and maintenance of all plants and facilities. Their duties include troubleshooting issues using root-cause analysis, carrying out testing and quality checks, assisting the lead operator in coordinating maintenance activities as well as ensuring plant and facilities condition and performance adhere to mandatory legal regulations. Senior Operators are responsible for writing daily updates for the lead operator and help human resources in conducting staff skills training.
Junior operators and senior operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Operator | Senior Operator | |
| Average salary | $37,735 | $85,677 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $52,000 | Between $54,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | - | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | - | |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a junior operator and a senior operator in terms of educational background:
| Junior Operator | Senior Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between junior operators' and senior operators' demographics:
| Junior Operator | Senior Operator | |
| Average age | 40 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.2% Female, 15.8% | Male, 72.8% Female, 27.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 22.1% Asian, 1.2% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% | Black or African American, 17.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 2.6% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 4% |