Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
Production Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 51-9011.00
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.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Moderate· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.24
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 22 hidden tasks23 rated tasks · 5 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (21.7%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | APIRaw / share % |
|---|---|
Record operational data, such as temperatures, pressures, ingredients used, processing times, or test results.51-9011.00 | 0.0049100.0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Record operational data, such as temperatures, pressures, ingredients used, processing times, or test results.O*NET Task ID 12342 | 1.0 |
Read plant specifications to determine products, ingredients, or prescribed modifications of plant procedures.O*NET Task ID 12346 | 1.0 |
Observe and compare colors and consistencies of products to instrument readings and to laboratory and standard test results.O*NET Task ID 12350 | 0.5 |
Estimate materials required for production and manufacturing of products.O*NET Task ID 12353 | 0.5 |
Inventory supplies received and consumed.O*NET Task ID 12354 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (24)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Adjust controls to regulate temperature, pressure, feed, or flow of liquids or gases and times of prescribed reactions, according to knowledge of equipment and processes. | Core |
| Observe safety precautions to prevent fires or explosions. | Core |
| Monitor gauges, recording instruments, flowmeters, or products to ensure that specified conditions are maintained. | Core |
| Control or operate equipment in which chemical changes or reactions take place during the processing of industrial or consumer products. | Core |
| Measure, weigh, and mix chemical ingredients, according to specifications. | Core |
| Inspect equipment or units to detect leaks or malfunctions, shutting equipment down, if necessary. | Core |
| Patrol work areas to detect leaks or equipment malfunctions or to monitor operating conditions. | Core |
| Test product samples for specific gravity, chemical characteristics, pH levels, concentrations, or viscosities, or send them to laboratories for testing. | Core |
| Draw samples of products at specified stages so that analyses can be performed. | Core |
| Record operational data, such as temperatures, pressures, ingredients used, processing times, or test results. | Core |
| Notify maintenance engineers of equipment malfunctions. | Core |
| Add treating or neutralizing agents to products, and pump products through filters or centrifuges to remove impurities or to precipitate products. | Core |
| Open valves or start pumps, agitators, reactors, blowers, or automatic feed of materials. | Core |
| Read plant specifications to determine products, ingredients, or prescribed modifications of plant procedures. | Core |
| Drain equipment, and pump water or other solutions through to flush and clean tanks or equipment. | Core |
| Make minor repairs, lubricate, and maintain equipment, using hand tools. | Core |
| Flush or clean equipment, using steam hoses or mechanical reamers. | Core |
| Observe and compare colors and consistencies of products to instrument readings and to laboratory and standard test results. | Core |
| Implement appropriate industrial emergency response procedures. | Core |
| Dump or scoop prescribed solid, granular, or powdered materials into equipment. | Core |
| Estimate materials required for production and manufacturing of products. | Core |
| Direct activities of workers assisting in control or verification of processes or in unloading of materials. | Core |
| Load products into tanks for shipment. | Core |
| Inventory supplies received and consumed. | Supplemental |
0.94/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Adjust controls to regulate temperature, pressure, feed, or flow of liquids or gases and times of prescribed reactions, according to knowledge of equipment and processes. | E2 structured facilities |
| Observe safety precautions to prevent fires or explosions. | E2 structured facilities |
| Control or operate equipment in which chemical changes or reactions take place during the processing of industrial or consumer products. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Measure, weigh, and mix chemical ingredients, according to specifications. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Inspect equipment or units to detect leaks or malfunctions, shutting equipment down, if necessary. | E2 structured facilities |
| Patrol work areas to detect leaks or equipment malfunctions or to monitor operating conditions. | E2 structured facilities |
| Test product samples for specific gravity, chemical characteristics, pH levels, concentrations, or viscosities, or send them to laboratories for testing. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Draw samples of products at specified stages so that analyses can be performed. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Add treating or neutralizing agents to products, and pump products through filters or centrifuges to remove impurities or to precipitate products. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Open valves or start pumps, agitators, reactors, blowers, or automatic feed of materials. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Drain equipment, and pump water or other solutions through to flush and clean tanks or equipment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Make minor repairs, lubricate, and maintain equipment, using hand tools. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Flush or clean equipment, using steam hoses or mechanical reamers. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Observe and compare colors and consistencies of products to instrument readings and to laboratory and standard test results. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Implement appropriate industrial emergency response procedures. | E0 none |
| Dump or scoop prescribed solid, granular, or powdered materials into equipment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Inventory supplies received and consumed. | E2 structured facilities |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 141K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 146K
- Change (2025–35)
- +3.6%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $58,040
- Typical education needed for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 83124 | 화학물 증류기 및 반응기 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 83129 | 그 외 화학물 가공 장치 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 83216 | 가스 생산기 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 83190 | 그 외 석유 및 화학물 가공 장치 조작원 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
| 83214 | 비료 생산기 조작원 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
| 83122 | 화학물 가열 처리 장치 조작원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
| 83213 | 세제 생산기 조작원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
| 83215 | 필름 생산기 조작원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
| 83219 | 그 외 화학제품 생산기 조작원 | Related, not a match | reviewed |
| 89112 | 목재 처리기 조작원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 8131Chemical Products Plant and Machine Operators
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- coagulation operatorESCO 8141.1.2This occupation is broader
Coagulation operators control machines to coagulate synthetic rubber latex into rubber crumb slurry. They prepare these rubber crumbs for finishing processes. Coagulation operators examine the appearance of the crumbs and adjust the operation of filters, shaker screens and hammer mills to remove moisture from the rubber crumbs.
- froth flotation deinking operatorESCO 8171.3This occupation is broader
Froth flotation deinking operators tend a tank that takes in recycled paper and mixes it with water. The solution is brought to a temperature around 50°C Celsius, after which air bubbles are blown into the tank. The air bubbles lift ink particles to the surface of the suspension and form a froth that is then removed.
- granulator machine operatorESCO 8131.9This occupation is broader
Granulator machine operators perform the mixing and granulation of powdered ingredients using mixing and milling machines in order to prepare the ingredients to be compressed into medicinal tablets. They set up the batch size and follow ingredient formulas.
- varnish makerESCO 8131.2.6This occupation is broader
Varnish makers operate equipment and mixers for varnish production, by melting, mixing and cooking the required chemical ingredients, according to specifications.
- chemical processing plant controllerESCO 3133.1Overlapping, not the same
Chemical processing plant controllers control the chemical production process. They operate machines and systems, being responsible to monitor and maintain the equipment and the instruments in control.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| H2304 | Opérateur / Opératrice de fabrication des industries chimiques | This occupation is narrower |
| H2303 | Opérateur / Opératrice de fabrication en industrie pharmaceutique | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| H2301 | Conducteur / Conductrice de ligne en industrie chimique | Overlapping, not the same |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 8131 | Operadores en plantas industriales químicas | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| 8132 | Operadores de máquinas para fabricar productos farmacéuticos, cosméticos y afines | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 8141 | Operadores de máquinas para fabricar productos de caucho y derivados de resinas naturales | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 41312 | Berufe in der Chemie- und Pharmatechnik - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrower |
| 41311 | Berufe in der Chemie- und Pharmatechnik - Helfer-/Anlerntätigkeiten | Overlapping, not the same |
| 22102 | Berufe in der Kunststoff- und Kautschukherstellung (ohne Spezialisierung) - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 501 | 化学製品生産設備制御・監視員 | Overlapping, not the same |
| 531 | 化学製品製造従事者 | Overlapping, not the same |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources