Also called: Reactor Loading Technician, Inert Entry Technician
Loads and removes the tons of pellet catalyst inside refinery reactors, sometimes working inside them in a sealed air-supplied suit.
During a refinery shutdown you vacuum hot, spent catalyst out of a reactor and then dense-load fresh pellets so they pack evenly. On some jobs the reactor is filled with nitrogen, so you go in wearing a helmet fed by air hoses while a team outside watches every breath on monitors.
Hourly with heavy overtime during shutdowns.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0.5 years after high school. High school; employers train you in confined-space and supplied-air entry.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Process Technology, Industrial Safety.
Growing about average. Tied to refinery and chemical plant turnaround schedules.
Low risk for 10 years. A few robot vacuums and loaders help, but entering reactors and handling catalyst stays human, high-skill physical work.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply to catalyst handling contractors; they handle confined-space training and fit tests First: Confined space training, respirator medical and fit test, TWIC
Classes: Chemistry, Physical education, Shop class, Health / first aid.
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.