Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
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.
- Median pay
- $51,610
- Doing it now
- 61,400
- By 2035
- Down 5.7%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
a year
across the country
5,200 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- 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.
- Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory analysis.
- Clean or sterilize tanks, screens, inflow pipes, production areas, or equipment, using hoses, brushes, scrapers, or chemical solutions.
- Inspect machines or equipment for hazards, operating efficiency, malfunctions, wear, or leaks.
- Dump, pour, or load specified amounts of refined or unrefined materials into equipment or containers for further processing or storage.
- Communicate processing instructions to other workers.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Food Science and TechnologySee 78 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Hands-on and practical
Organised and precise
Analytical and curious
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $51,610 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.