Skip navigation

Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, & Still Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders

Also called: Chemical Operator, Cellar Worker, Cheese Maker, Refinery Operator

Where in the military? In the military: see titles from the Navy.

What they do:
Set up, operate, or tend continuous flow or vat-type equipment; filter presses; shaker screens; centrifuges; condenser tubes; precipitating, fermenting, or evaporating tanks; scrubbing towers; or batch stills. These machines extract, sort, or separate liquids, gases, or solids from other materials to recover a refined product. Includes dairy processing equipment operators.
On the job, you would:
  • Set up or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, or pressure.
  • Monitor material flow or instruments such as temperature or pressure gauges, indicators, or meters to ensure optimal processing conditions.
  • Start agitators, shakers, conveyors, pumps, or centrifuge machines, then turn valves or move controls to admit, drain, separate, filter, clarify, mix, or transfer materials.

Knowledge

Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
  • manufacture and distribution of products
Math and Science
  • chemistry
  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
Engineering and Technology
  • mechanical
Safety and Government
  • public safety and security

Skills

Basic Skills
  • keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
  • talking to others
Problem Solving
  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Abilities

Visual Understanding
  • quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things
  • see hidden patterns
Controlled Movement
  • use your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down
  • change when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving
Hand and Finger Use
  • hold or move items with your hands
  • keep your arm or hand steady
Verbal
  • listen and understand what people say

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include
practical, hands-on problems and solutions.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Dependability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Cooperation
  • Independence
  • Adaptability/Flexibility
  • Self Control

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Spreadsheet software
Electronic mail software
  • Email software
Word processing software

Education

Education: (rated 2 of 5)
high school diploma or
associate's degree
usually needed

Get started on your career:

Find Training Registered Apprenticeship

Job Outlook

Below Average Outlook
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.
Salary
$37,720
per year, on average
Check out my state Local Salary Info Find Jobs
Green
This work is part of the green economy.

Explore More

See more details at O*NET OnLine about separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders.