Operations plant attendant vs plant operator

The differences between operations plant attendants and plant operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a plant operator has an average salary of $42,697, which is higher than the $29,609 average annual salary of an operations plant attendant.

The top three skills for an operations plant attendant include safety procedures, customer service and professional appearance. The most important skills for a plant operator are plant equipment, plant operations, and preventative maintenance.

Operations plant attendant vs plant operator overview

	Operations Plant Attendant	Plant Operator
Yearly salary	$29,609	$42,697
Hourly rate	$14.24	$20.53
Growth rate	5%	-7%
Number of jobs	110,253	43,388
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	High School Diploma, 34%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	-	12

Operations plant attendant vs plant operator salary

Operations plant attendants and plant operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Operations Plant Attendant	Plant Operator
Average salary	$29,609	$42,697
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $38,000	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 operations plant attendant and plant operator education

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

	Operations Plant Attendant	Plant Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	High School Diploma, 34%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Operations plant attendant vs plant operator demographics

Here are the differences between operations plant attendants' and plant operators' demographics:

	Operations Plant Attendant	Plant Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 67.7% Female, 32.3%	Male, 93.5% Female, 6.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 4.4% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	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	11%	5%

Differences between operations plant attendant and plant operator duties and responsibilities

Operations plant attendant example responsibilities.

Manage SharePoint database and spreadsheet for coverage opinion bills.
Inspect work of fuel trucks by performing daily/monthly/quarterly/annual inspections of visual water test, API test, and Millipore test.
Reconcile and analyze a multitude of reports in updating revenue-reporting process within Salesforce in order to implement an accurate billing process.
Attend and play inside and outside games such as coloring and baseball with child participants.

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.

Operations plant attendant vs plant operator skills

Common operations plant attendant skills

Safety Procedures, 23%
Customer Service, 19%
Professional Appearance, 18%
Excellent Guest, 13%
Emergency Situations, 6%
Telephone Calls, 6%

Common plant operator skills

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

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Operations Plant Attendant
Operations Plant Attendant vs Plant Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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