Refinery operator vs control panel operator

The differences between refinery operators and control panel 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 refinery operator and a control panel operator. Additionally, a control panel operator has an average salary of $50,602, which is higher than the $47,058 average annual salary of a refinery operator.

The top three skills for a refinery operator include safety procedures, ladders and product quality. The most important skills for a control panel operator are control panels, , and .

Refinery operator vs control panel operator overview

	Refinery Operator	Control Panel Operator
Yearly salary	$47,058	$50,602
Hourly rate	$22.62	$24.33
Growth rate	7%	-15%
Number of jobs	34,423	56,130
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	2	2

Refinery operator vs control panel operator salary

Refinery operators and control panel operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Refinery Operator	Control Panel Operator
Average salary	$47,058	$50,602
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $73,000	Between $29,000 And $85,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between refinery operator and control panel operator education

There are a few differences between a refinery operator and a control panel operator in terms of educational background:

	Refinery Operator	Control Panel Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common major	Business	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Refinery operator vs control panel operator demographics

Here are the differences between refinery operators' and control panel operators' demographics:

	Refinery Operator	Control Panel Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4%	Male, 84.7% Female, 15.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 4.3% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 4.6% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between refinery operator and control panel operator duties and responsibilities

Refinery operator example responsibilities.

Manage multiple large volume fermentation tanks simultaneously.
Work include LOTO procedures and gathering oil samples for the onsite lab.
Have knowledge of cryo plant production, amine, and NGL production.
Operate gas/oil fire heat exchangers.
Repair equipment with jsa, loto usuing procedures.
Conduct monthly safety surveys to ensure the unit maintain OSHA compliance.

Control panel operator example responsibilities.

Coordinate and manage annual physical inventory as well as inventory valuation in accordance with Canadian GAAP.
Supervised/Operate PLC control incinerators and demilitarization machines.
Monitor and maintain audio and video transmissions according to the program/commercial schedule and in compliance with technical specifications and FCC guidelines.

Refinery operator vs control panel operator skills

Common refinery operator skills

Safety Procedures, 12%
Ladders, 7%
Product Quality, 7%
Control Room, 6%
Rail Cars, 6%
OSHA, 6%

Common control panel operator skills

Control Panels, 100%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Refinery Operator
Refinery Operator vs Control Panel Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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