Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between operations technicians and plant technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a plant technician has an average salary of $46,164, which is higher than the $40,899 average annual salary of an operations technician.
The top three skills for an operations technician include customer service, hand tools and preventative maintenance. The most important skills for a plant technician are preventive maintenance, ladders, and data collection.
| Operations Technician | Plant Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $40,899 | $46,164 |
| Hourly rate | $19.66 | $22.19 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 191,960 | 146,543 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
An operations technician is a plant employee responsible for monitoring and operating facilities of work platforms in a firm. To ensure supply availability and reduce rig downtime, operations technicians collaborate with engineers to troubleshoot mechanical problems and perform maintenance. They promote production safety by implementing instructions and procedures following the company's safety and environmental standards. They also maintain records of equipment history and report accidents to the appropriate personnel.
A plant technician is in charge of overseeing plant operations, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Their responsibilities include installing and upgrading machines and equipment, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems, implementing solutions to vulnerable or problem areas, and developing strategies to optimize plant operations. They must also perform regular maintenance checks, conducting corrective measures and adjustments as needed. Furthermore, a plant technician must provide technical support to employees, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Operations technicians and plant technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Operations Technician | Plant Technician | |
| Average salary | $40,899 | $46,164 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $55,000 | Between $31,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Kent, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Utilities |
There are a few differences between an operations technician and a plant technician in terms of educational background:
| Operations Technician | Plant Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between operations technicians' and plant technicians' demographics:
| Operations Technician | Plant Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.5% Female, 20.5% | Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 3.3% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 2% |