Mixing plant operator vs refinery technician

The differences between mixing plant operators and refinery technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a refinery technician has an average salary of $51,694, which is higher than the $45,979 average annual salary of a mixing plant operator.

The top three skills for a mixing plant operator include CDL, asphalt and plant equipment. The most important skills for a refinery technician are minor maintenance, safety regulations, and LOTO.

Mixing plant operator vs refinery technician overview

	Mixing Plant Operator	Refinery Technician
Yearly salary	$45,979	$51,694
Hourly rate	$22.11	$24.85
Growth rate	-7%	-15%
Number of jobs	34,951	7,715
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	Associate Degree, 38%
Average age	44	46
Years of experience	-	-

Mixing plant operator vs refinery technician salary

Mixing plant operators and refinery technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mixing Plant Operator	Refinery Technician
Average salary	$45,979	$51,694
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $63,000	Between $39,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between mixing plant operator and refinery technician education

There are a few differences between a mixing plant operator and a refinery technician in terms of educational background:

	Mixing Plant Operator	Refinery Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	Associate Degree, 38%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Industrial Technology
Most common college	-	-

Mixing plant operator vs refinery technician demographics

Here are the differences between mixing plant operators' and refinery technicians' demographics:

	Mixing Plant Operator	Refinery Technician
Average age	44	46
Gender ratio	Male, 96.4% Female, 3.6%	Male, 92.7% Female, 7.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 25.0% Asian, 4.3% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 1.5% White, 76.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%
LGBT Percentage	7%	5%

Differences between mixing plant operator and refinery technician duties and responsibilities

Mixing plant operator example responsibilities.

Maintain buildings HVAC / lighting automation systems and make adjustments as needed for tenant's comfort and to manage energy consumption.
Complete rig up, and rig down of all equipment associate with mixing plant operations.
Prepare asphalt mixtures per customer requirements, load and unload tankers and monitor tanks and assist with paperwork
Operate tools, including hoists, saws and drills.

Refinery technician example responsibilities.

Manage, develop, and execute department clearances (LO/TO).
Maintain numerous automate scripts to assist in managing Linux systems.
Experience with Maximo and other computer systems.
Monitor and adjust units from the DCS and SCADA.
Perform distillation, absorption, extraction, adsorption, thermal and reforming.
Operate Plc computers and high pressure boilers, as well as forklift panel.

Mixing plant operator vs refinery technician skills

Common mixing plant operator skills

CDL, 38%
Asphalt, 20%
Plant Equipment, 16%
Plant Maintenance, 16%
Rig, 6%
Plant Operations, 3%

Common refinery technician skills

Minor Maintenance, 46%
Safety Regulations, 19%
LOTO, 8%
Cooling Towers, 6%
Plant Equipment, 6%
Hazardous Chemicals, 4%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Mixing Plant Operator
Mixing Plant Operator vs Refinery Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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