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Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
Production · SOC 51-9011
0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$58,040
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
9,000
Proj. Annual Openings
139,630
Employment (OEWS 2025)
+8.2%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
100/100
AI Resiliency Score
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 51-9011 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 52/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $58,040
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 9,000
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +3.3%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 12,422 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlMonitoringReading ComprehensionActive Listening
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
AI Exposure0.0%
AI Resiliency100/100
Exposure BandLow
Sector Avg. Exposure0.7%
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
22.2%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI15.2%
AI ability · AIOE51.4%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne76%
AI could do ~15.2% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
1.Operations Monitoring
2.Operation and Control
3.Monitoring
4.Reading Comprehension
5.Active Listening
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Chemical Operator, Chlorination Operator, Multiskill Operator, Outside Operator, Process Operator, Spray Dry Operator
Representative Tasks
- •Observe safety precautions to prevent fires or explosions.
- •Record operational data, such as temperatures, pressures, ingredients used, processing times, or test results.
- •Control or operate equipment in which chemical changes or reactions take place during the processing of industrial or consumer products.
- •Patrol work areas to detect leaks or equipment malfunctions or to monitor operating conditions.
- •Draw samples of products at specified stages so that analyses can be performed.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Maintain safety.
- •Record operational or production data.
- •Operate chemical processing or water treatment systems or equipment.
- •Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions.
- •Adjust equipment controls to regulate gas flow.
Tools & Technologies
Microsoft Excel · hotMicrosoft Office software · hotMicrosoft Outlook · hotSAP software · hotMicrosoft PowerPoint · hotIBM Notes
Related Occupations
Chemical Plant and System OperatorsSeparating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersWater and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsCleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and TendersHeat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
15
Occupations Shown
0.5%
Avg AI Exposure
1
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Multi-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 51-9011: 2019 — employment: 87,120, median wage: $49,130; 2020 — employment: 93,060, median wage: $50,510; 2021 — employment: 106,170, median wage: $48,090; 2022 — employment: 115,370, median wage: $49,330; 2023 — employment: 120,260, median wage: $51,720; 2025 — employment: 139,630, median wage: $58,040.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 0.7% |
| Outlook | Average | 4% Bright |
| Median Salary | $58,040 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |