Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between petroleum supply specialists and pipeline 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 petroleum supply specialist and a pipeline operator. Additionally, a petroleum supply specialist has an average salary of $61,978, which is higher than the $46,175 average annual salary of a pipeline operator.
The top three skills for a petroleum supply specialist include safety procedures, math and MOS. The most important skills for a pipeline operator are DOT, pipeline operations, and scrubbers.
| Petroleum Supply Specialist | Pipeline Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $61,978 | $46,175 |
| Hourly rate | $29.80 | $22.20 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 17,014 | 30,609 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Working for the military, a petroleum supply specialist is primarily in charge of managing petroleum supplies and petroleum-based machines, vehicles, and tools, ensuring that they are functioning smoothly and efficiently. Moreover, a petroleum supply specialist must be proactive and conditioned for any situation as they may be assigned on-base or in-field. Their responsibilities typically include receiving and organizing supplies, liaising with procurement officers, coordinating with other staff to hand over the necessary supplies, establishing delivery routes, and performing regular maintenance and safety inspections to ensure that all equipment is in good working condition.
The job of a pipeline operator is to control the flow of gas, oil, and other materials being sent through pipelines at refineries or power plants. Your day-to-day duties typically include conducting routine inspections and maintenance of the pipeline systems, training new staff members on procedures and policies, and operating petroleum processing or refining units. In addition, you will be responsible for gauging oil in storage tanks, controlling pumping systems, and regulating oil flow into pipelines.
Petroleum supply specialists and pipeline operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Petroleum Supply Specialist | Pipeline Operator | |
| Average salary | $61,978 | $46,175 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $118,000 | Between $30,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a petroleum supply specialist and a pipeline operator in terms of educational background:
| Petroleum Supply Specialist | Pipeline Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between petroleum supply specialists' and pipeline operators' demographics:
| Petroleum Supply Specialist | Pipeline Operator | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.2% Female, 23.8% | Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 4.4% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% Asian, 4.3% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |