Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders build operation and control, operations monitoring and time management skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Chemical Plant and System Operators (90%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemical Plant and System Operators | 90% | $78,120 | +35% | None |
| 2 | Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | 90% | $96,710 | +67% | None |
| 3 | Biomass Plant Technicians | 88% | $102,040Pay for the broader BLS group “Power Plant Operators” | Not compared | None |
| 4 | Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators | 87% | $60,020 | +3% | None |
| 5 | Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders | 86% | $54,430 | −6% | None |
| 6 | Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 86% | $48,750 | −16% | None |
| 7 | Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers | 84% | $61,770 | +6% | None |
| 8 | Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators | 84% | $77,320 | +33% | None |
| 9 | Biofuels Processing Technicians | 83% | $62,470Pay for the broader BLS group “Plant and System Operators, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 10 | Power Plant Operators | 82% | $102,040 | +76% | None |
Compared with Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders, median $58,040. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as chemical equipment operators and tenders (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
90% skill match · $78,120 · +35% pay
Repairing · Quality Control Analysis · Operations Monitoring
90% skill match · $96,710 · +67% pay
Equipment Selection · Repairing · Equipment Maintenance
88% skill match · $102,040 (broader BLS group)
Equipment Selection · Repairing · Negotiation
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Chemical Plant and System Operators (90% skill match, median $78,120), Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers (90% skill match, median $96,710) and Biomass Plant Technicians (88% skill match, median $102,040), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 12 pay more than chemical equipment operators and tenders at the median. The biggest increases: Power Plant Operators (+76%, $102,040), Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers (+67%, $96,710) and Gas Plant Operators (+51%, $87,820).
24 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.