Wet plant operator vs plant operator

The differences between wet plant operators and plant operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a wet plant operator, becoming a plant operator takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a wet plant operator has an average salary of $45,759, which is higher than the $42,697 average annual salary of a plant operator.

The top three skills for a wet plant operator include control room, loaders and wet plant. The most important skills for a plant operator are plant equipment, plant operations, and preventative maintenance.

Wet plant operator vs plant operator overview

	Wet Plant Operator	Plant Operator
Yearly salary	$45,759	$42,697
Hourly rate	$22.00	$20.53
Growth rate	-7%	-7%
Number of jobs	34,985	43,388
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 34%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	12

Wet plant operator vs plant operator salary

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

	Wet Plant Operator	Plant Operator
Average salary	$45,759	$42,697
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $63,000	Between $32,000 And $56,000
Highest paying City	-	Sacramento, CA
Highest paying state	-	Idaho
Best paying company	-	NW Natural
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between wet plant operator and plant operator education

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

	Wet Plant Operator	Plant Operator
Most common degree	Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 34%
Most common major	General Studies	Business
Most common college	Carnegie Mellon University	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Wet plant operator vs plant operator demographics

Here are the differences between wet plant operators' and plant operators' demographics:

	Wet Plant Operator	Plant Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3%	Male, 93.5% Female, 6.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 4.1% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	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%
LGBT Percentage	11%	5%

Differences between wet plant operator and plant operator duties and responsibilities

Wet plant operator example responsibilities.

Manage environmental team planning and maintenance response services.
Prepare asphalt mixtures per customer requirements, load and unload tankers and monitor tanks and assist with paperwork
Operate tools, including hoists, saws and drills.

Plant operator example responsibilities.

Manage and operate the DCS system or control board.
Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Maintain buildings HVAC / lighting automation systems and make adjustments as needed for tenant's comfort and to manage energy consumption.
Used basic math skills to calculate the weight of the ammonia by the price it are per ton.
Operate compressors, scrubbers, pipeline, pumps, coolers, and evaporators to liquefy or compress gas.
Maintain and repair all equipment involve in plant processes to keep within OSHA safety standards and EPA environmental codes.

Wet plant operator vs plant operator skills

Common wet plant operator skills

Control Room, 29%
Loaders, 25%
Wet Plant, 23%
MSHA, 23%

Common plant operator skills

Plant Equipment, 7%
Plant Operations, 6%
Preventative Maintenance, 5%
Boilers, 5%
Minor Maintenance, 4%
Ladders, 4%