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The differences between plant operators and relief operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a plant operator has an average salary of $42,697, which is higher than the $42,693 average annual salary of a relief operator.
The top three skills for a plant operator include plant equipment, plant operations and preventative maintenance. The most important skills for a relief operator are food safety, CIP, and PPE.
| Plant Operator | Relief Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $42,697 | $42,693 |
| Hourly rate | $20.53 | $20.53 |
| Growth rate | -7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 43,388 | 64,469 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 34% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | - |
A plant operator's primary role is to supervise and oversee operations in an industrial setting. They are responsible for controlling machinery and equipment, coordinating with fellow officers, monitoring the quality of progress among a particular unit or department, and maintaining daily operations records. A plant operator may also respond to inquiries and issues, perform basic troubleshooting, and provide corrective measures. Furthermore, a plant operator must conduct regular inspection and maintenance to ensure a safe work environment for everyone, all while implementing the plant's safety policies and regulations.
A relief operator job depends on the institution or organization. Their main jobs include examining, measuring, and weighing materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices such as rulers, micrometers, or scales. Their additional responsibilities include maintaining regular contact and communication with customers to resolve concerns, issues, and complaints.
Plant operators and relief operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plant Operator | Relief Operator | |
| Average salary | $42,697 | $42,693 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $56,000 | Between $36,000 And $50,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | Hutchinson, KS |
| Highest paying state | Idaho | Kansas |
| Best paying company | NW Natural | Nestlé |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Energy |
There are a few differences between a plant operator and a relief operator in terms of educational background:
| Plant Operator | Relief Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 34% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | - |
Here are the differences between plant operators' and relief operators' demographics:
| Plant Operator | Relief Operator | |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.5% Female, 6.5% | Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 1.8% White, 70.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5% | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 6.6% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |