Paper mill superintendent vs process operator

The differences between paper mill superintendents and process operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a paper mill superintendent and a process operator. Additionally, a paper mill superintendent has an average salary of $73,867, which is higher than the $37,996 average annual salary of a process operator.

The top three skills for a paper mill superintendent include capital projects, machine uptime and . The most important skills for a process operator are safety procedures, preventative maintenance, and team-oriented environment.

Paper mill superintendent vs process operator overview

	Paper Mill Superintendent	Process Operator
Yearly salary	$73,867	$37,996
Hourly rate	$35.51	$18.27
Growth rate	-	3%
Number of jobs	12,856	83,478
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 90%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

Paper mill superintendent vs process operator salary

Paper mill superintendents and process operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Paper Mill Superintendent	Process Operator
Average salary	$73,867	$37,996
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $130,000	Between $29,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	-	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	-	Wyoming
Best paying company	-	BWX Technologies
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between paper mill superintendent and process operator education

There are a few differences between a paper mill superintendent and a process operator in terms of educational background:

	Paper Mill Superintendent	Process Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 90%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Paper Science And Engineering	Business
Most common college	Pennsylvania State University	Stanford University

Paper mill superintendent vs process operator demographics

Here are the differences between paper mill superintendents' and process operators' demographics:

	Paper Mill Superintendent	Process Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 100.0% Female, 0.0%	Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 3.9% White, 68.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 4.5% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between paper mill superintendent and process operator duties and responsibilities

Paper mill superintendent example responsibilities.

Supervise and successfully run the plant continuously even with shortage of manpower
Supervise and successfully run the plant continuously even with shortage of manpower

Process operator example responsibilities.

Manage distillation process to determine product specification compliance, and prepare unit for shutdown or turnaround process.
Climb ladders to inspect manholes, check temps, sometimes gather samples for lab analysis.
Demonstrate ability to perform basic math (add, subtract, multiply, divide, ratios, weights & measures).
Control product temperatures and monitor gauges.
Review FHA files for completeness and compliance.
Use of ladders, stairs, heavy lifting and temperature extremes.

Paper mill superintendent vs process operator skills

Common paper mill superintendent skills

Capital Projects, 60%
Machine Uptime, 40%

Common process operator skills

Safety Procedures, 8%
Preventative Maintenance, 7%
Team-Oriented Environment, 7%
Ladders, 5%
Customer Service, 4%
Data Entry, 4%

Paper Mill Superintendent vs. similar jobs

Paper Mill Superintendent related careers

Paper Mill Superintendent related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Production and Manufacturing Industry
Paper Mill Superintendent
Paper Mill Superintendent vs Process Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse production and manufacturing jobs