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Posted on 12/15/15 at 11:41 am to Mac
quote:
What exactly does a plant operator do? Why do they make $100k+?
Posted on 12/15/15 at 11:47 am to Mac
If the unit is running fine, not a whole lot.
My 12 hour shifts consists of about 2 hours of actual work, if that. Of course, that is if the unit is running fine...which is about 95% of the time.
My 12 hour shifts consists of about 2 hours of actual work, if that. Of course, that is if the unit is running fine...which is about 95% of the time.
Posted on 12/15/15 at 11:49 am to Mac
quote:they operate the plant. how is that not obvious?
What exactly does a plant operator do?
Posted on 12/15/15 at 11:55 am to CaptainsWafer
quote:
Forgot to change accounts before replying?
Posted on 12/15/15 at 12:06 pm to LSUAlum2001
quote:
Those guys have to work 60 hours per week to make more than 6 figures.
Um, no they don't.
Posted on 12/15/15 at 12:08 pm to GRTiger
quote:
and one who will be waiting for that 401K and pension check when he retires.
Fixed
Posted on 12/15/15 at 12:22 pm to Prominentwon
quote:
Curious as to what you think operators do in the plant
The idiots on this board have no idea what an operator does on a daily basis. 95% good times, and only 5% bad. Its a damn good job with excellent benefits.
Posted on 12/15/15 at 12:23 pm to Cornholio
quote:
Cornholio
an operator or closely related to one
Posted on 12/15/15 at 12:27 pm to Rouge
quote:
Cornholio an operator or closely related to one
Yes sir.
Posted on 12/15/15 at 1:01 pm to Rouge
Im not an operator but work with them as an engineer. Its a great job and not really easy to get amymore. Especially since most place its not who you know anymore (atleast around LC). Have to have a ton of experience in the plants on the construction side or at least a 2 year degree and most want both.the only people i know that are getting on easily are the guys with a 4 year process degree and have experience. I have helped quite a few friends with the testing they do and most are a joke though if you have a good mechanical background and can do 10th grade math.
Great benifits and essentially you work 120 or so more hours then an average 9-5 job over the course of the year.
And those saying that they have to work a ton to make a 100k is laughable. For example most of the plants around LC have you starting around 30 an hour and maxing around 40 after 5 years. If you go board operator or top operator its usually in the 45-50 range.(all union) After that most move to straight days in some kind of supervisor role and go on salary, but most of these roles require a 4 year degree. (non-union)
And operators are not typical o&g guys, most are not trashy, atleast in the LC area they aren't.
Shift work is not for me but i understand why many like it. I even know a few with engineering degrees that have operator jobs because they love the shoft work. Most i know who like it love to hunt and fish. Most that hate it i find are the ones who's social life is more family and friend oriented.
And the jobs are outrageously competitive right now. Especially with citgo, energy, p66 and sasol paying over 40 after 5 years plus the crazy benifits. Sasol is the most competitive because they offer the best retirement of the LC plants right now. Axiall has lost a ton of their experienced guys to sasol, same with Westlake group.
Great benifits and essentially you work 120 or so more hours then an average 9-5 job over the course of the year.
And those saying that they have to work a ton to make a 100k is laughable. For example most of the plants around LC have you starting around 30 an hour and maxing around 40 after 5 years. If you go board operator or top operator its usually in the 45-50 range.(all union) After that most move to straight days in some kind of supervisor role and go on salary, but most of these roles require a 4 year degree. (non-union)
And operators are not typical o&g guys, most are not trashy, atleast in the LC area they aren't.
Shift work is not for me but i understand why many like it. I even know a few with engineering degrees that have operator jobs because they love the shoft work. Most i know who like it love to hunt and fish. Most that hate it i find are the ones who's social life is more family and friend oriented.
And the jobs are outrageously competitive right now. Especially with citgo, energy, p66 and sasol paying over 40 after 5 years plus the crazy benifits. Sasol is the most competitive because they offer the best retirement of the LC plants right now. Axiall has lost a ton of their experienced guys to sasol, same with Westlake group.
Posted on 12/15/15 at 1:02 pm to Cornholio
quote:
The idiots on this board have no idea what an operator does on a daily basis. 95% good times, and only 5% bad. Its a damn good job with excellent benefits.
Example...
quote:
Those guys have to work 60 hours per week to make more than 6 figures.
frick those hours on a regular basis.
Case in point.
I work 48 hours one week and 36 hours the next.
Posted on 12/15/15 at 1:15 pm to lsu777
quote:
Great benifits and essentially you work 120 or so more hours then an average 9-5 job over the course of the year.
And those saying that they have to work a ton to make a 100k is laughable. For example most of the plants around LC have you starting around 30 an hour and maxing around 40 after 5 years.
I am making no judgement of the job, only posting some math to these numbers for perspective.
At $40/hour and 120 hours of overtime (at $60/hour), that comes to $90,400/year, assuming 2080 hours regular pay (52 weeks at 40 hours/week) and 120 OT hours. In order to hit $100k in a year, you would have to work 280 OT hours if you make $40/hour and $60/OT hour.
These numbers require revision if you take unpaid vacation (which I am assuming is the norm for hourly employees, although I could be wrong).
Posted on 12/15/15 at 1:22 pm to GRTiger
Plants are littered with young people who call themselves operators when they're not, and they're not making $40/hr.
I was in the same boat as OP many times. It's very frustrating to hear guys younger than me brag about making more money in the plants than I am as a young professional. Luckily I've done my time in plants and know they're full of shite.
I was in the same boat as OP many times. It's very frustrating to hear guys younger than me brag about making more money in the plants than I am as a young professional. Luckily I've done my time in plants and know they're full of shite.
This post was edited on 12/15/15 at 1:29 pm
Posted on 12/15/15 at 1:23 pm to CaptainsWafer
quote:
Forgot to change accounts before replying?
Posted on 12/15/15 at 1:30 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
Operators around the lake charles area do make 40 an hour after 5 years. Not all but a lot do.
Posted on 12/15/15 at 1:37 pm to lsu777
Yea, actuall operators with 5 years.
Loaders in their first year with no prior experience are nowhere close to that.
Loaders in their first year with no prior experience are nowhere close to that.
Posted on 12/15/15 at 1:39 pm to GRTiger
I believe they have 208 OT hours built in just doing the quick math. Also many make double time after so many hours and on holidays and they usually start with 3 or 4 weeks paid vacation around here. Old timers get like 12, its laughable how much they get.
And i get what you are saying and many don't make 100k but a lot work enough OT to do so. Usually your area of the plant has a small shutdown or turnaround that requires you to work quite a bit of OT for a month or so, usually enough to make up the amount needed to make 100k
Overall though the benefits are amazing, much better then 95% of the rest of LA workers and 40 an hour is way waymore then most make 5 years into a job, even those with a 4 year degree. Especially when you consider how little actual work they do.
Its not a perfect job, shift work sucks and it can be dangerous and you have to work around chemicals that are really dangerous. But overall its a damn good job even for those with 4 year degree.
Shits not for me though, they can have that shift work.
And i get what you are saying and many don't make 100k but a lot work enough OT to do so. Usually your area of the plant has a small shutdown or turnaround that requires you to work quite a bit of OT for a month or so, usually enough to make up the amount needed to make 100k
Overall though the benefits are amazing, much better then 95% of the rest of LA workers and 40 an hour is way waymore then most make 5 years into a job, even those with a 4 year degree. Especially when you consider how little actual work they do.
Its not a perfect job, shift work sucks and it can be dangerous and you have to work around chemicals that are really dangerous. But overall its a damn good job even for those with 4 year degree.
Shits not for me though, they can have that shift work.
Posted on 12/15/15 at 1:44 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
Around here you don't really see loaders except in two plants.
Westlake group and they start around 24 an hour and move into actual operations within 2 years and it requires a 2 year degree.
Axiall, which only pays like 15 an hour for that job and they are considered maintenance personal, mot operators and usally these are idiot people and this is the best they can do.
Only other plant i know that has loaders is entergy. The loaders there used to be the senior position operators moved into (think huge bull dozer/front end loader pushing coalaround and this position got paid more. I think that has changed though and now thats the low position.
Westlake group and they start around 24 an hour and move into actual operations within 2 years and it requires a 2 year degree.
Axiall, which only pays like 15 an hour for that job and they are considered maintenance personal, mot operators and usally these are idiot people and this is the best they can do.
Only other plant i know that has loaders is entergy. The loaders there used to be the senior position operators moved into (think huge bull dozer/front end loader pushing coalaround and this position got paid more. I think that has changed though and now thats the low position.
Posted on 12/15/15 at 1:45 pm to GRTiger
quote:
I am making no judgement of the job, only posting some math to these numbers for perspective.
At $40/hour and 120 hours of overtime (at $60/hour), that comes to $90,400/year, assuming 2080 hours regular pay (52 weeks at 40 hours/week) and 120 OT hours. In order to hit $100k in a year, you would have to work 280 OT hours if you make $40/hour and $60/OT hour.
These numbers require revision if you take unpaid vacation (which I am assuming is the norm for hourly employees, although I could be wrong).
26 days a year 1 of the shifts has 8 hours of OT included. 26*8=208 hours of OT paid during the normal shift.
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