Pilot plant operator vs continuous operator

The differences between pilot plant operators and continuous operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a pilot plant operator and a continuous operator. Additionally, a pilot plant operator has an average salary of $42,462, which is higher than the $38,921 average annual salary of a continuous operator.

The top three skills for a pilot plant operator include powerpoint, NAS and federal aviation administration. The most important skills for a continuous operator are lean six sigma, lean manufacturing, and improvement projects.

Pilot plant operator vs continuous operator overview

	Pilot Plant Operator	Continuous Operator
Yearly salary	$42,462	$38,921
Hourly rate	$20.41	$18.71
Growth rate	-7%	7%
Number of jobs	37,804	31,966
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

Pilot plant operator vs continuous operator salary

Pilot plant operators and continuous operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pilot Plant Operator	Continuous Operator
Average salary	$42,462	$38,921
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $65,000	Between $26,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between pilot plant operator and continuous operator education

There are a few differences between a pilot plant operator and a continuous operator in terms of educational background:

	Pilot Plant Operator	Continuous Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Chemical Engineering	Business
Most common college	University of Cincinnati	Georgia Institute of Technology

Pilot plant operator vs continuous operator demographics

Here are the differences between pilot plant operators' and continuous operators' demographics:

	Pilot Plant Operator	Continuous Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 79.0% Female, 21.0%	Male, 75.8% Female, 24.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 4.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between pilot plant operator and continuous operator duties and responsibilities

Pilot plant operator example responsibilities.

Develop and manage a comprehensive vendor qualification program to support the GMP manufacture of vaccine products.
Set up and maintain distillation columns.
Utilize GC's for routine process analysis.
perform corrective and preventative maintenance of DCS.
Perform LOTO procedures and issue hot work and confine entry permits.
Operate and maintain the batch plant including drycast and wetcast mixers.

Continuous operator example responsibilities.

Single, double, and triple tandem extrusion of single and and multiconductor cable.
Administer the SharePoint online document storage and are responsible for resolving problems as they occur.
Repair fail boards that require SMT soldering and/or through hole soldering of pins, capacitors and resistors.
Handle efficient stocking processes while utilizing RF equipment, as well as end of night clean up tasks.
position for CNC machining shop specializing in precision mill components for aerospace and custom applications.
Conduct routine operating inspections of the unit, troubleshoot operational problems and respond to area emergencies or to changing operational situations.

Pilot plant operator vs continuous operator skills

Common pilot plant operator skills

PowerPoint, 19%
NAS, 13%
Federal Aviation Administration, 13%
Voice Commands, 11%
Air Traffic Control, 10%
GMP, 5%

Common continuous operator skills

Lean Six Sigma, 33%
Lean Manufacturing, 29%
Improvement Projects, 16%
Sigma, 10%
Process Flow, 4%
Process Improvement, 3%

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Pilot Plant Operator
Pilot Plant Operator vs Continuous Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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