About half of all manufacturing jobs related to chemicals are in the installation, maintenance and repair sectors. The top manufacturing jobs are in management, business, and financial as well as office and administrative support. Fewer are employed in manufacturing engineer jobs and 9% worked in the material moving part of the industry.
Jobs in the production sector of chemical manufacturing entail operating and fixing machinery used in plants. These positions also require ensuring smooth productions and transporting the materials needed for the product. To qualify for these positions a high school diploma is required. The production worker who wants to advance should undergo vocational training to gain experience that will count immensely toward their advancement.
Systems operators are responsible for making sure the chemicals are used correctly in the production process. This process must be monitored closely so the safety of all involved in this process is ensured. Systems operators are required to have very broad experience in the chemical production process as well as technical training to achieve the level of an operator. After this they will sometimes move up to senior supervisor jobs.
If you are more interested in the industrial mechanics of chemical manufacturing you will be responsible for making sure all the industrial machinery is working properly. This means repair, maintenance, and inspections to make sure the machinery is in top working order. These positions are usually filled by workers who have taken apprenticeships or vocational training or both. They also advance by receiving training within the company.
When searching for jobs within the inspections sector of a chemical manufacturing industry many of the workers are testers, sorters, and samplers. Their work is to make sure production runs according to specifications and the company's standards are met. The inspections positions that entail product testing normally require a high school diploma. The more complicated positions where precision is of the utmost importance are normally filled by experienced chemical plant workers who have extensive knowledge of the products and what is required to produce them.
Machine operators who fill boxes for the final shipment of the product are mainly employed in the soap and cosmetics industry. These are the products mostly packaged and shipped to distributors for consumers. A high school diploma and some training are usually the most requirements for this type of job. The training may come from the job after being hired.
Material moving is one more aspect of the world of chemical manufacturing. The workers use trucks to move products and materials within the plant and to distributors for customers. The employer looking for someone to fill these positions will seek someone who has knowledge of chemicals and the safe handling of these chemicals, including transporting them. Safety procedures should be a part of the education and a CDL (commercial driver's license) should be held or can be easily obtained. Many of the moving products and materials positions require a high school diploma.
Manufacturing management jobs in the chemical manufacturing business may include the engineering managers and the marketing and sales managers. The engineering managers coordinate operations of the plant on a daily basis. This position requires a college degree. The course of study will include chemistry or chemical engineering and experience in the chemical manufacturing field. The marketing and sales management positions are those who promote the product that is being made at the particular chemical manufacturer for which they work. This position requires a bachelor's degree in marketing. The degree can also be in chemistry or chemical engineering or all three.
The first line managers in chemical plants who handle the production and workers are making from $22 to $28 per hour. The plant operators have a salary range from $22 to $26. From $15 to $20 is the wage maintenance workers who take care of general problems make. The inspectors make from $14 to $15. A packaging operator will usually make $11 to $12.
The earnings that the chemical industry pays are typically good. The earnings on a weekly basis are about $834. When you compare this to a regular manufacturing job the pay for those positions was only $699 a week. This is a working environment that may be what you are looking to find if you are in an area that this industry is prevalent. The pay is good and there are many big name companies that are in the business of producing chemical products.
The job candidates for many of these positions are those who want to advance to either the production management sector of an industrial plant or the safety inspections. Many start at the bottom and work their way up to get knowledge of every aspect of a chemical manufacturing plant. They gain on the job training and also take classes in the field they are interested in so they can advance as the positions open.
