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.
What it pays
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earn a median of $24.81/hr — about $51,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.40/hr; the top 10% earn $38.34/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earn a median of $24.81/hr — about $51,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.40/hr; the top 10% earn $38.34/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Dump, pour, or load specified amounts of refined or unrefined materials into equipment or containers for further processing or storage.
- Operate machines to process materials in compliance with applicable safety, energy, or environmental regulations.
- Monitor material flow or instruments, such as temperature or pressure gauges, indicators, or meters, to ensure optimal processing conditions.
- Turn valves or move controls to admit, drain, separate, filter, clarify, mix, or transfer materials.
- Set up or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, or pressure.
- Examine samples to verify qualities such as clarity, cleanliness, consistency, dryness, or texture.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the day is spent working solo. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0.4% of separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.
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Quick questions
- How much does a separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tender make?
- The median pay is $24.81 per hour — roughly $51,500 a year, with the real range running from about $17.40/hr (10th percentile) to $38.34/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tender?
- The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
- What does a separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tender actually do all day?
- Dump, pour, or load specified amounts of refined or unrefined materials into equipment or containers for further processing or storage. Operate machines to process materials in compliance with applicable safety, energy, or environmental regulations. Monitor material flow or instruments, such as temperature or pressure gauges, indicators, or meters, to ensure optimal processing conditions.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.