Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
ManufacturingO*NET 51-9012.00United States
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $51,248
- Projected change
- +1.4%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 62.98K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
95.5% of the workforce
Growing to 63.9K by 2035
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ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- Start agitators, shakers, conveyors, pumps, or centrifuge machines.
- Inspect machines or equipment for hazards, operating efficiency, malfunctions, wear, or leaks.
- Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory analysis.
- Communicate processing instructions to other workers.
- Remove clogs, defects, or impurities from machines, tanks, conveyors, screens, or other processing equipment.
- Turn valves to pump sterilizing solutions or rinse water through pipes or equipment or to spray vats with atomizers.
- Maintain logs of instrument readings, test results, or shift production for entry in computer databases.
- Clean or sterilize tanks, screens, inflow pipes, production areas, or equipment, using hoses, brushes, scrapers, or chemical solutions.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $35,651
- 25th percentile
- $43,895
- 50th percentile
- $51,248
- 75th percentile
- $64,350
- 90th percentile
- $83,042
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $51,248 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+1.4%average or slower
202562,983 jobs
2035 projected63,895 jobs
912 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 95.5%
- Certificate
- 1.9%
- Some college
- 1.5%
- Bachelor's degree
- 1.1%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Brewers768 postings
- 02Utility Machine Operators98 postings
- 03Head Brewers91 postings
- 04Lead Brewers77 postings
- 05Brewery Representatives66 postings
- 06Winemakers56 postings
- 07Brewery Workers39 postings
- 08Dishwashers26 postings
- 09Barbacks20 postings
- 10Cellar Operators18 postings
- 11Manufacturing Operators18 postings
- 12Construction Foremen16 postings
- 13Cellarmen15 postings
- 14Custodial Services Workers15 postings
- 15Packaging Operators15 postings
- 16Packaging Technicians14 postings
- 17Delivery Drivers13 postings
- 18Taproom Managers12 postings
- 19Bartenders10 postings
- 20Retail Sales Associates10 postings
Top employers
- 01Boston Beer Company66 postings
- 02Aramark62 postings
- 03Delaware North47 postings
- 04Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery45 postings
- 05Molson Coors28 postings
- 06Anheuser-Busch25 postings
- 07The Sheridan Group25 postings
- 08Tilray24 postings
- 09Paradies Lagardère22 postings
- 10Allied Universal21 postings
- 11Artisanal Brewing Ventures20 postings
- 12Bbq Holdings17 postings
- 13Brew Monster Brewing Company Limited17 postings
- 14M.R. Brewer17 postings
- 15Octopi Brewing17 postings
- 16Fort George Brewery15 postings
- 17Vip Tires & Service15 postings
- 18Haffners14 postings
- 19Granite City12 postings
- 20Heist Brewery12 postings
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