Plant workers are employed in factories, manufacturing sites, and production plants to operate machinery and process items into merchandise. They work in various industries processing the widest variety of materials. They are responsible for sorting and packing products as well as monitoring their quality.
As a plant worker, you will work the assembly line or operate machines in rotating shifts in industrial settings. You will have to endure noise and repetitive tasks, so stamina and dexterity will be valuable skills.
You will work as part of a team, so communication skills will be essential. You will work under the supervision of a manager and report any issues you can not solve. You will be responsible for keeping your area clean and carrying out your tasks according to safety regulations.
What is a Plant Worker?
What Does a Plant Worker Do
There are certain skills that many plant workers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed customer-service skills, dexterity and troubleshooting skills.
How To Become a Plant Worker
If you're interested in becoming a plant worker, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 16.8% of plant workers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 1.0% of plant workers have master's degrees. Even though some plant workers have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Plant Worker Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of warehouse worker you might progress to a role such as driver eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title superintendent.
Average Salary for a Plant Worker
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Plant Worker
The role of a plant worker includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general plant worker responsibilities:
- Unload waste containers from incoming vehicles. Stage waste containers for scanning in the biotrack system. Scan waste containers into the biotrack system for proper recordkeeping purposes. Load robot dumper with waste containers for processing. Place empty containers on wash line for decontamination. Operates container wash unit insuring the wash unit is operating properly. Removes clean containers from wash unit, inspects containers
- Operates sharps dumper/sorting machine. Sorts out appropriate medical devices from the medical waste,
- Perform quality control duties to insure process compliance. Insure load plans are accurate
There are several types of plant worker, including:
Warehouse Worker
Role:
As a warehouse worker, you'll have plenty of work to keep your mind off that machinery. You'll need to receive and process any deliveries of stock or materials that come your way and you may also be in charge of filling out those delivery orders, as well as sending out some deliveries yourself.
While you'll probably only be working eight hours per shift, you may think this job is a breeze. Don't forget that standing around for that long and moving heavy items can take a toll. If you work as a warehouse worker, you'll need to make sure you're taking plenty of breaks during each shift, which I'm sure you'll happily agree to.
- Average Salary: $33,010
- Degree: High School Diploma
Maintenance Technician
Role:
Generally, maintenance technicians only need a high school diploma to get by in their career, although higher positions in the maintenance technician field may require a two-year program of some sort.
You know how we said that maintenance technicians may be called upon in emergency situations? Well, that may mean you'll be working outside of your normal hours. For the most part, you'll work a normal, full-time schedule. But emergencies may get you out of bed or interrupt your weekend. Just be prepared for those emergencies.
- Average Salary: $43,293
- Degree: High School Diploma
Ship Worker
Role:
Since there are so many industries you could go into as a ship worker, you should be pleased to know that you'll have so many job opportunities. You may even start getting annoyed at how many job offers you receive. But at least you'll have your pick of the lot.
Many ship workers work long hours. As a cruise ship worker, you'll be at work for weeks, even months at a time. And, depending on when the fish are biting, you may have to adjust your schedule, if you're a fisherman. But if you're one of those people who should have been born a fish, then you'll fit right in as a ship worker.
- Average Salary: $28,576
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
States With The Most Plant Worker Jobs
Mouse over a state to see the number of active plant worker jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where plant workers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Number Of Plant Worker Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 3,879 | $36,772 |
| 2 | Texas | 2,594 | $27,321 |
| 3 | Florida | 2,160 | $26,623 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | 1,393 | $29,674 |
| 5 | Georgia | 1,365 | $27,158 |
| 6 | North Carolina | 1,267 | $29,127 |
| 7 | Virginia | 1,152 | $30,510 |
| 8 | Washington | 1,019 | $43,029 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 930 | $26,903 |
| 10 | Illinois | 861 | $34,854 |
| 11 | Missouri | 847 | $28,745 |
| 12 | Ohio | 827 | $29,440 |
| 13 | New Jersey | 758 | $35,341 |
| 14 | New York | 721 | $35,024 |
| 15 | Michigan | 718 | $31,252 |
| 16 | Colorado | 717 | $31,931 |
| 17 | Indiana | 705 | $31,888 |
| 18 | South Carolina | 650 | $28,836 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | 600 | $34,591 |
| 20 | Oregon | 583 | $36,975 |
| 21 | Minnesota | 559 | $35,252 |
| 22 | Alabama | 552 | $25,696 |
| 23 | Maryland | 517 | $33,244 |
| 24 | Louisiana | 496 | $22,911 |
| 25 | Massachusetts | 484 | $38,809 |
| 26 | Arizona | 466 | $26,105 |
| 27 | Utah | 462 | $35,808 |
| 28 | Arkansas | 449 | $26,044 |
| 29 | Connecticut | 400 | $32,995 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | 383 | $26,200 |
| 31 | Kentucky | 381 | $28,374 |
| 32 | Iowa | 354 | $31,873 |
| 33 | Nebraska | 328 | $29,881 |
| 34 | Kansas | 298 | $28,820 |
| 35 | New Mexico | 272 | $27,756 |
| 36 | New Hampshire | 248 | $31,853 |
| 37 | West Virginia | 242 | $27,284 |
| 38 | Idaho | 205 | $28,955 |
| 39 | South Dakota | 197 | $27,919 |
| 40 | Nevada | 183 | $34,076 |
| 41 | Mississippi | 156 | $23,775 |
| 42 | Delaware | 120 | $29,359 |
| 43 | Rhode Island | 89 | $35,063 |
| 44 | Maine | 89 | $32,261 |
| 45 | Montana | 85 | $29,566 |
| 46 | Vermont | 64 | $31,934 |
| 47 | North Dakota | 64 | $30,010 |
| 48 | Hawaii | 41 | $39,882 |
| 49 | Alaska | 33 | $45,449 |
| 50 | Wyoming | 26 | $30,070 |
Top Skills For a Plant Worker
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 19.0% of plant workers listed recordkeeping on their resume, but soft skills such as customer-service skills and dexterity are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Plant Worker Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Plant Worker templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Plant Worker resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Plant Worker Demographics
Plant Worker Gender Distribution
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among plant workers, 18.4% of them are women, while 81.6% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among plant workers is White, which makes up 62.1% of all plant workers.
- The most common foreign language among plant workers is Spanish at 75.0%.
Online Courses For Plant Worker That You May Like
1. Understanding Plants - Part II: Fundamentals of Plant Biology
This class is aimed at people interested in understanding the basic science of plant biology. In this four lecture series, we'll first learn about the structure-function of plants and of plant cells. Then we'll try to understand how plants grow and develop, making such complex structures as flowers. Once we know how plants grow and develop, we'll then delve into understanding photosynthesis - how plants take carbon dioxide from the air and water from soil, and turn this into oxygen for us to...
See More on Coursera2. Understanding Plants - Part I: What a Plant Knows
For centuries we have collectively marveled at plant diversity and form—from Charles Darwin’s early fascination with stems and flowers to Seymour Krelborn’s distorted doting in Little Shop of Horrors. This course intends to present an intriguing and scientifically valid look at how plants themselves experience the world—from the colors they see to the sensations they feel. Highlighting the latest research in genetics and more, we will delve into the inner lives of plants and draw parallels with...
See More on Coursera3. Setting the Stage for Success: An Eye on Safety Culture and Teamwork (Patient Safety II)
Safety culture is a facet of organizational culture that captures attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and values about safety. A culture of safety is essential in high reliability organizations and is a critical mechanism for the delivery of safe and high-quality care. It requires a strong commitment from leadership and staff. In this course, a safe culture is promoted through the use of identifying and reporting patient safety hazards, accountability and transparency, involvement with patients...
See More on CourseraBest States For a Plant Worker
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a plant worker. The best states for people in this position are Alaska, Washington, Hawaii, and Massachusetts. Plant workers make the most in Alaska with an average salary of $45,449. Whereas in Washington and Hawaii, they would average $43,029 and $39,882, respectively. While plant workers would only make an average of $38,809 in Massachusetts, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Washington
$43,029
Avg. Salary
2. Utah
$35,808
Avg. Salary
3. Oregon
$36,975
Avg. Salary
How Do Plant Worker Rate Their Jobs?
Top Plant Worker Employers
Most Common Employers For Plant Worker
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Imation | $38,515 | $18.52 | 4 |
| 2 | Silgan Containers | $37,337 | $17.95 | 4 |
| 3 | Air Liquide | $37,311 | $17.94 | 4 |
| 4 | Ford Motor | $37,222 | $17.90 | 4 |
| 5 | Hormel Foods | $37,154 | $17.86 | 15 |
| 6 | Georgia-Pacific | $36,841 | $17.71 | 5 |
| 7 | General Motors | $36,174 | $17.39 | 4 |
| 8 | Pilgrim's | $35,733 | $17.18 | 9 |
| 9 | Stericycle | $34,799 | $16.73 | 204 |
| 10 | Airgas | $33,979 | $16.34 | 4 |
Plant Worker Videos
