Also called: Industrial Gas Plant Operator, ASU Operator
Runs plants that chill air to minus 300°F to separate out the pure oxygen, nitrogen and argon used by hospitals, chip fabs and steel mills.
From a control room you run compressors and a "cold box" that turns air into liquid. You fill tanker trucks with liquid oxygen for a hospital and liquid nitrogen for a food plant. It's a quiet, technical job most people never know exists.
Estimated from BLS chemical plant operators.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 1 year after high school. High school; a 2-year process technology degree helps.
Ways in: 2-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Process Technology (2-year).
Shrinking (about -4% over 10 years). Chemical plant operators overall.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. Many air separation plants are already run remotely from central control centers, so on-site operator roles shrink.
Classes: Chemistry, Physics, Algebra II.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-8091.
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