Also called: Process Operator, Petroleum Plant Operator
Runs the towers, furnaces, and pipes that turn crude oil into gasoline, jet fuel, and plastics.
You walk the unit checking gauges, take samples, and adjust the process from the control room on 12-hour shifts. Rotating shifts are tough but the pay is strong.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Associate's degree (2-year), about 2 years after high school. High school diploma; associate degree in process technology preferred.
Ways in: 2-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Process Technology (2-year).
Shrinking (about -4% over 10 years).
Medium risk for 10 years. Advanced controls cut operator headcount per unit; outside rounds and emergencies still need people.
Classes: Chemistry, Physics, Algebra 2.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-8093.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.