Pharmaceutical operator vs process operator

The differences between pharmaceutical operators and process operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pharmaceutical operator has an average salary of $38,260, which is higher than the $37,996 average annual salary of a process operator.

The top three skills for a pharmaceutical operator include FDA, GMP and safety procedures. The most important skills for a process operator are safety procedures, preventative maintenance, and team-oriented environment.

Pharmaceutical operator vs process operator overview

	Pharmaceutical Operator	Process Operator
Yearly salary	$38,260	$37,996
Hourly rate	$18.39	$18.27
Growth rate	-	3%
Number of jobs	54,270	83,478
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	44	46
Years of experience	-	2

Pharmaceutical operator vs process operator salary

Pharmaceutical operators and process operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pharmaceutical Operator	Process Operator
Average salary	$38,260	$37,996
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $49,000	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 pharmaceutical operator and process operator education

There are a few differences between a pharmaceutical operator and a process operator in terms of educational background:

	Pharmaceutical Operator	Process Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	Stanford University

Pharmaceutical operator vs process operator demographics

Here are the differences between pharmaceutical operators' and process operators' demographics:

	Pharmaceutical Operator	Process Operator
Average age	44	46
Gender ratio	Male, 66.6% Female, 33.4%	Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 27.2% Asian, 6.3% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	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	5%	6%

Differences between pharmaceutical operator and process operator duties and responsibilities

Pharmaceutical operator example responsibilities.

Manage the receipt and tracking of control substances as well as the DEA biennial inspection.
Perform a variety of highly skil manufacturing tasks involving the processing of pharmaceutical products in a GMP control facility.
Request QA approvals and releases.
Comply with safety by wearing appropriate PPE.
Partner with in-house workers on PLC issues relate to machinery.
Compress various pharmaceutical granulations into tablets meeting all FDA specifications.

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.

Pharmaceutical operator vs process operator skills

Common pharmaceutical operator skills

FDA, 25%
GMP, 20%
Safety Procedures, 9%
Line Clearance, 6%
Pharmaceutical Products, 6%
QA, 5%

Common process operator skills

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

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Pharmaceutical Operator
Pharmaceutical Operator vs Process Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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