Chemical Production Machine Operators

ANZSCO ID 711911

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
2,400
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
82%
Female Share
29%
Average age
43

Summary

Chemical Production Machine Operators operate machines to produce chemical goods such as soaps, detergents, pharmaceuticals, toiletries and explosives.

Specialisations: Bullet Maker, Candle Maker, Cosmetics Machine Operator, Explosives Mixer Operator, Nitrocellulose Maker, Paint Tinter, Tablet Making Machine Operator.

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Chemical Production Machine Operator. Although some workers have a certificate II or III in process plant operations.

Tasks

  • Operates crushing machines to reduce solid chemicals and other materials to a size suitable for processing.

  • Operates mills to grind and pulverise solid chemicals and other materials into particles of a specified size.

  • Inspects samples of these materials and monitors the removal of the ground product.

  • Operates machines in which the ingredients used in chemical and related products are mixed and blended, and ensures the accuracy of the blend.

  • May be designated according to the type of material mixed, the product obtained or the machine operated.

Characteristics

Job Type
Machinery Operators And Drivers
Skill Level
Lower skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Administrative
Physical Demand
  • Medium
  • Heavy

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Other Machine Operators, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 82% of people employed as Chemical Production Machine Operators work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 16 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 44 hours per week in their main job. This is the same as the all jobs average.

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Manufacturing
67.2%
2
Retail Trade
6.7%
3
Wholesale Trade
6.3%
4
Mining
3.3%
5
Other industries
8.2%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

31.3% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

33.9% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

17.4% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

5.1% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

10.4% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.6% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.2% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.1% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Chemical Production Machine Operators All Jobs Average
NSW 31.3 31.6
VIC 33.9 25.6
QLD 17.4 20.0
SA 5.1 7.0
WA 10.4 10.8
TAS 1.6 2.0
NT 0.2 1.0
ACT 0.1 1.9


  • Around 65% of Chemical Production Machine Operators live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    Victoria has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
43
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
29%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Chemical Production Machine Operators is 43 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 29% of the workforce. This is 19 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Chemical Production Machine Operators All Jobs Average
15-19 1.1 5.0
20-24 6.0 9.3
25-34 20.6 22.9
35-44 25.2 22.0
45-54 28.1 21.6
55-59 11.0 9.0
60-64 5.9 6.0
65 and Over 2.0 4.2
Median Age 43 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Chemical Production Machine Operator. Although some workers have a certificate II or III in process plant operations.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Chemical, Hydrocarbons & Refining VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Chemical Production Machine Operators All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 3.5 10.1
Bachelor degree 16.1 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 9.5 11.6
Certificate III/IV 21.2 21.1
Year 12 23.6 18.1
Year 11 6.8 4.8
Year 10 and below 19.3 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Other Machine Operators who are hardworking, can work well with others and are reliable.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 50%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 50%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 45%

    Equipment maintenance

    Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.

  • 43%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 43%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 41%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 41%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 41%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 41%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 41%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 41%

    Troubleshooting

    Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.

  • 39%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 39%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 39%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 39%

    Repairing

    Fixing machines or systems.

  • 39%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 39%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 36%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 36%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 36%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 61%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 55%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 49%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 48%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 46%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 41%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 41%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 37%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 36%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 32%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 30%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 29%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 28%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 28%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 27%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 23%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.

  • 23%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 15%

    Therapy and counselling

    Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.

  • 15%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 13%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 52%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 52%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 48%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 46%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 46%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 46%

    Reaction time

    Quickly move your hand, finger, or foot when a sound, light, picture or something else appears.

  • 45%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 45%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 45%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 45%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 45%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 43%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 43%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 43%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 43%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 43%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • 43%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 43%

    Rate control

    Change when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

  • 41%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 39%

    Response orientation

    Quickly choose the right movement of the hand, foot, or other body part when there are two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures).


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 73%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 60%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 59%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 55%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 52%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 49%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 49%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 48%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 46%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 46%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 43%

    Driving vehicles or equipment

    Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

  • 42%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 42%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 41%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 39%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 38%

    Working with mechanical equipment

    Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.

  • 37%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 34%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 34%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 27%

    Guiding and directing staff

    Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 67%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 52%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 19%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 14%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 14%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 71%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 48%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 43%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 40%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 29%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 29%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 100%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 94%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 90%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 89%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 88%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 86%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 85%

    Indoors, not heat controlled

    Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).

  • 85%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 81%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 78%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 78%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 77%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 77%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 77%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 76%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 76%

    Pace of work set by equipment

    Pace of work depends on the speed of equipment or machinery.

  • 76%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 75%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 72%

    Walking and running

    Spend time walking and running.

  • 72%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 51-9023.00 - Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.


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