Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
Occupation · SOC 51-9011.00
Operate or tend equipment to control chemical changes or reactions in the processing of industrial or consumer products. Equipment used includes devulcanizers, steam-jacketed kettles, and reactor vessels.
Also called: Chemical Operator · Multiskill Operator · Outside Operator · Vessel Operator · Chlorination Operator · Process Operator · Spray Dry Operator · Acetone Recovery Worker · Acetylene Plant Operator · Acid Bleacher · Acid Cleaner · Acid Concentrator
Job family: Production Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-51-9011-00/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- About average employment outlook (+3.3% by 2034)
- 14,400 openings/yr
- Low AI exposure
- Median pay $57,090/yr
- Work is mostly on-site (not teleworkable)
- 2013 flagged this for computerization (62nd); today's AI task-overlap is comparatively low (28th)
28th-percentile task overlap — yet about 14,400 openings a year (+3.3% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →
AI & job outlook
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Exposure to current AI
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Moderate | 35th | -0.5 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Low | 26th | 0.2 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Low | 27th | 0.1 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.1), with simple added tooling (β 0.2), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.2). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.
Historical automation estimate (2013)
A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
Frey–Osborne probability 0.8 · 62nd percentile among occupations · Moderate
How AI is actually used in this job
Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.
| Adjust controls to regulate temperature, pressure, feed, or flow of liquids or gases and times of prescribed reactions, according to knowledge of equipment and processes. | 0.2% | |
| Measure, weigh, and mix chemical ingredients, according to specifications. | 0.2% |
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | About average · +3.3% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 14,400 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 128,900 → 133,100 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders sits at the 45th percentile of 427
occupations on the global GenAI task-exposure gradient
— exposure eased from 2023 to 2025. Each dot is one occupation; the
ringed one is this work. Exposure is task overlap, not automation or jobs lost.
24% mean task exposure (2025)
45th percentile of 427 placed occupations
−1 pts shift 2023 → 2025
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical Products Plant and Machine Operators · 8131 | 24% | Not exposed |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
Tasks
All 23 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Observe safety precautions to prevent fires or explosions. Core · importance 4.8
- Record operational data, such as temperatures, pressures, ingredients used, processing times, or test results. Core · importance 4.7
- Control or operate equipment in which chemical changes or reactions take place during the processing of industrial or consumer products. Core · importance 4.7
- Patrol work areas to detect leaks or equipment malfunctions or to monitor operating conditions. Core · importance 4.6
- Draw samples of products at specified stages so that analyses can be performed. Core · importance 4.6
- Adjust controls to regulate temperature, pressure, feed, or flow of liquids or gases and times of prescribed reactions, according to knowledge of equipment and processes. Core · importance 4.6
- Monitor gauges, recording instruments, flowmeters, or products to ensure that specified conditions are maintained. Core · importance 4.5
- Test product samples for specific gravity, chemical characteristics, pH levels, concentrations, or viscosities, or send them to laboratories for testing. Core · importance 4.5
- Inspect equipment or units to detect leaks or malfunctions, shutting equipment down, if necessary. Core · importance 4.5
- Open valves or start pumps, agitators, reactors, blowers, or automatic feed of materials. Core · importance 4.5
- Implement appropriate industrial emergency response procedures. Core · importance 4.5
- Read plant specifications to determine products, ingredients, or prescribed modifications of plant procedures. Core · importance 4.5
- Measure, weigh, and mix chemical ingredients, according to specifications. Core · importance 4.4
- Dump or scoop prescribed solid, granular, or powdered materials into equipment. Core · importance 4.3
- Notify maintenance engineers of equipment malfunctions. Core · importance 4.3
- Add treating or neutralizing agents to products, and pump products through filters or centrifuges to remove impurities or to precipitate products. Core · importance 4.2
- Estimate materials required for production and manufacturing of products. Core · importance 4.2
- Observe and compare colors and consistencies of products to instrument readings and to laboratory and standard test results. Core · importance 4.1
- Direct activities of workers assisting in control or verification of processes or in unloading of materials. Core · importance 4.0
- Drain equipment, and pump water or other solutions through to flush and clean tanks or equipment. Core · importance 4.0
- Flush or clean equipment, using steam hoses or mechanical reamers. Core · importance 3.9
- Make minor repairs, lubricate, and maintain equipment, using hand tools. Core · importance 3.8
- Inventory supplies received and consumed. Core · importance 3.6
Emerging tasks
Newer responsibilities O*NET has flagged as growing for this occupation.
- Load products into tanks for shipment.
Work activities
- Adjust equipment controls to regulate gas flow.
- Adjust temperature controls of ovens or other heating equipment.
- Maintain safety.
- Monitor instruments to ensure proper production conditions.
- Operate chemical processing or water treatment systems or equipment.
- Measure ingredients or substances to be used in production processes.
- Mix substances to create chemical solutions.
- Inspect production equipment.
- Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions.
- Test chemical or physical characteristics of materials or products.
- Collect samples of materials or products for testing.
- Record operational or production data.
- Notify others of equipment repair or maintenance needs.
- Clean production equipment.
- Operate pumping systems or equipment.
- Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
- Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
- Repair production equipment or tools.
- Maintain production or processing equipment.
- Lubricate production equipment.
- Compare physical characteristics of materials or products to specifications or standards.
- Direct operational or production activities.
- Load materials into production equipment.
- Estimate material requirements for production.
- Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Knowledge
| Production and Processing | 4.5 | |
| Chemistry | 4.4 | |
| Mechanical | 4.1 | |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.7 | |
| English Language | 3.7 | |
| Mathematics | 3.5 | |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.5 | |
| Law and Government | 3.3 | |
| Administrative | 3.3 | |
| Administration and Management | 3.2 | |
| Engineering and Technology | 3.1 |
Transferable skills
| Operations Monitoring | 3.9 | |
| Operation and Control | 3.9 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.4 | |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
Essential skills
| Monitoring | 3.8 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.4 | |
| Active Listening | 3.4 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.4 | |
| Speaking | 3.1 |
Abilities
| Oral Comprehension | 3.8 | |
| Oral Expression | 3.8 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.8 | |
| Control Precision | 3.8 | |
| Near Vision | 3.8 | |
| Written Comprehension | 3.6 | |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.5 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.4 | |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.4 | |
| Far Vision | 3.4 | |
| Written Expression | 3.3 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.3 | |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.3 | |
| Reaction Time | 3.3 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.1 | |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.1 | |
| Selective Attention | 3.1 | |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.1 | |
| Rate Control | 3.1 | |
| Speech Recognition | 3.1 |
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Tools & technology
| Example | Category | |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software | Hot technology In demand |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software | Hot technology In demand |
| Microsoft Outlook | Electronic mail software | Hot technology In demand |
| SAP software | Enterprise resource planning ERP software | Hot technology In demand |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Presentation software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Word | Word processing software | Hot technology |
| IBM Notes | Electronic mail software | |
| Operational databases | Data base user interface and query software |
Work context
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
How to get in
- Job zone
- Zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
- Related experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Preparation level
- SVP (Below 6.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.
What to study: Science Technologies/Technicians . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.
Education of current workers
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| High School Diploma | 48.8% | |
| Some College Courses | 20.6% | |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 13.5% | |
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 13.5% | |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 1.8% | |
| Bachelor's Degree | 1.8% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Realistic | 6.6 | |
| Conventional | 4.6 | |
| Investigative | 3.2 |
Work styles
| Dependability | 4.0 | |
| Attention to Detail | 3.0 | |
| Cautiousness | 2.7 | |
| Stress Tolerance | 2.0 | |
| Integrity | 1.9 | |
| Self-Control | 1.7 |
Interest areas
| Physical Science | 3.8 | |
| Engineering | 3.8 | |
| Physical/Manual Labor | 3.3 | |
| Mechanics/Electronics | 2.8 | |
| Mathematics/Statistics | 2.1 | |
| Transportation/Machine Operation | 1.7 | |
| Life Science | 1.6 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $37,270 |
| 25th percentile | $45,660 |
| Median (50th) | $57,090 |
| 75th percentile | $71,400 |
| 90th percentile | $88,460 |
| People employed | 127,410 |
Industries that employ this occupation
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing · Sector | 124,240 | $57,130 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | 1,260 | $54,190 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 1,020 | $51,250 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 660 | $76,870 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 630 | $53,760 |
| Testing Laboratories and Services · National industry | — | $78,140 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) · Sector | — | $55,710 |
Where this work is most concentrated
Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing · Sector | 11.78× | 124,240 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 0.29× | 630 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | 0.25× | 1,260 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 0.14× | 1,020 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 0.07× | 660 |
Related occupations
Part of the Advanced Manufacturing career cluster.
- Chemical Plant and System Operators · 51-8091.00 Compare →
- Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · 51-9012.00 Compare →
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators · 51-8031.00 Compare →
- Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders · 51-9192.00 Compare →
- Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · 51-4191.00 Compare →
- Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders · 51-9051.00 Compare →
- Biomass Plant Technicians · 51-8013.03 Compare →
- Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders · 51-4051.00 Compare →
- Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · 51-4193.00 Compare →
- Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers · 51-8093.00 Compare →
- Chemical Engineers · 17-2041.00 Compare →
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers · 53-7072.00 Compare →
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
What you can do with this
Options the data surfaces for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
- Chemical Plant and System Operators Compare →
- Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Compare →
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators Compare →
- Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders Compare →
- Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Compare →
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- High school diploma or equivalent · typical entry level
- Job zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed · preparation tier
- Science Technologies/Technicians · field of study
Zoom out
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 45th percentile of 427 international occupations.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders show 28th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 14,400 annual U.S. openings
- Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders rank in the 28th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 14,400 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be about average (+3.3%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $57,090, across about 127,410 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders show 28th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 14,400 annual U.S. openings • Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders rank in the 28th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 14,400 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be about average (+3.3%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $57,090, across about 127,410 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) Source: Singulariki — "Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-9011-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Plain
Singulariki. "Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-9011-00
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-9011-00
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-51-9011-00,
title = {Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-9011-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.