Steam plant operator vs refinery technician

The differences between steam plant operators and refinery technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a refinery technician has an average salary of $51,694, which is higher than the $45,404 average annual salary of a steam plant operator.

The top three skills for a steam plant operator include general maintenance, plant equipment and water pumps. The most important skills for a refinery technician are minor maintenance, safety regulations, and LOTO.

Steam plant operator vs refinery technician overview

	Steam Plant Operator	Refinery Technician
Yearly salary	$45,404	$51,694
Hourly rate	$21.83	$24.85
Growth rate	-15%	-15%
Number of jobs	34,695	7,715
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Associate Degree, 38%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

Steam plant operator vs refinery technician salary

Steam plant operators and refinery technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Steam Plant Operator	Refinery Technician
Average salary	$45,404	$51,694
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $64,000	Between $39,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between steam plant operator and refinery technician education

There are a few differences between a steam plant operator and a refinery technician in terms of educational background:

	Steam Plant Operator	Refinery Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Associate Degree, 38%
Most common major	Mechanical Engineering	Industrial Technology
Most common college	-	-

Steam plant operator vs refinery technician demographics

Here are the differences between steam plant operators' and refinery technicians' demographics:

	Steam Plant Operator	Refinery Technician
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 92.9% Female, 7.1%	Male, 92.7% Female, 7.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 1.5% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%	Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 1.5% White, 76.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between steam plant operator and refinery technician duties and responsibilities

Steam plant operator example responsibilities.

Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Prepare asphalt mixtures per customer requirements, load and unload tankers and monitor tanks and assist with paperwork
Train in adult CPR and general first aid.
Insure that lock-out and tag-out procedures are perform safely and in compliance with APS guidelines.

Refinery technician example responsibilities.

Manage, develop, and execute department clearances (LO/TO).
Maintain numerous automate scripts to assist in managing Linux systems.
Experience with Maximo and other computer systems.
Monitor and adjust units from the DCS and SCADA.
Perform distillation, absorption, extraction, adsorption, thermal and reforming.
Operate Plc computers and high pressure boilers, as well as forklift panel.

Steam plant operator vs refinery technician skills

Common steam plant operator skills

General Maintenance, 15%
Plant Equipment, 13%
Water Pumps, 12%
Mechanical Equipment, 11%
Loaders, 8%
HVAC, 7%

Common refinery technician skills

Minor Maintenance, 46%
Safety Regulations, 19%
LOTO, 8%
Cooling Towers, 6%
Plant Equipment, 6%
Hazardous Chemicals, 4%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Steam Plant Operator
Steam Plant Operator vs Refinery Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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