Chemical products machine operator

#94Declining

4/5

Key facts

−2.3%jobs, 2025 to 2035

United States

This job is declining in the United States. AI exposure: very low according to the ILO, low according to the BLS. Employment change in the United States by 2035: −2.3% (BLS). Future-proof jobs use similar skills: see "What next?".

The job

Chemical products plant and machine operators (ISCO 8131). Chemical products plant and machine operators monitor and operate units and machinery to blend, mix, process and package a wide range of chemical products.

Page built from official classifications (ILO, ESCO); figures cover all the jobs grouped here.

305 job titles linked to this page

Titles from the European ESCO classification. They are also used for search.

artisan soap maker
bees-wax bleacher
beeswax bleacher
biazzi nitrator operator
biazzi-nitrator operator
binitrotoluene operator
calcinator operator
candle production operative
candle production operator
candle production process operative
candle production process worker
candle production worker
candle wax bleacher
candlewax bleacher
capsule filler
capsule filling machine operator
capsule machine operative
capsule machine operator
chemical batch blender
chemical batch mixer
chemical blender
chemical equipment operative
chemical equipment operator
chemical equipment worker
chemical fermentation process worker
chemical mixer
chemical mixer operative
chemical mixer operator
chemical mixer setter
chemical mixer tender
chemical mixer worker
chemical mixing machine operative
chemical mixing machine operator
chemical mixing machine tender
chemical mixing machine worker
chemical plant operative
chemical plant operator
chemical plant worker
chemical process worker
chemical production worker
chemicals batch blender
chemicals blender
chemicals fermentation operative
chemicals fermentation process worker
chemicals fermentation worker
chemicals fermenter operative
chemicals fermenter operator
chemicals fermenter worker
coke oven operator
coke quencher operator
coker
coking furnace operator
coking furnace technician
coking oven operator
cosmetics factory worker
cosmetics plant worker
cosmetics production machine operative
cosmetics production machine operator
cosmetics production machine tender
cosmetics production machine worker
cosmetics production operative
cosmetics production operator
cosmetics production worker
distillation operator
distillation operators
distillation process expert
draw kiln operator
dry house attendant
drying room firework maker
drying room fireworks maker
explosives monitoring and storage attendant
explosives monitoring and storage worker
fermentation operative
fermentation process worker
fermentation worker
fermenter operative
fermenter operator
fermenter worker
fertiliser mixer
fertiliser mixing machine operator
fertilizer mixer
fertilizer mixing machine operative
fertilizer mixing machine operator
filling machine operator
firework drying room attendant
fireworks drying room attendant
flaker operator
flammable chemical blender
flammable chemical mixer
flare kiln operator
fragrance factory worker
fragrance plant worker
fragrance production machine operative
fragrance production machine tender
fragrance production machine worker
fragrance production worker
fungicide mixer
fungicide mixing machine operative
fungicide mixing machine operator
fungicide mixing machine setter
fungicide mixing machine tender
gauger
granulating machine operative
granulating machine operator
granulation machine operative
granulation operative
granulation operator
granulator
granulator machine operator
gravity separator operator
herbicide mixer
herbicide mixing machine operative
herbicide mixing machine operator
herbicide mixing machine setter
herbicide mixing machine tender
igniter powder blender
igniter powder mixer
industrial coke oven worker
insecticide blender
insecticide mixer
insecticide mixing machine operative
insecticide mixing machine operator
insecticide mixing machine setter
insecticide mixing machine tender
kettle charger
kettle operator
lacquer maker
lacquer maker (paint & varnish)
lacquer mixer
lime kiln operative
lime kiln operator
lime kiln worker
maker of lacquer
maker of paint
maker of soap
maker of varnish
mine control room operator
mine monitor
mine operator
mining control room operator
mining operations supervisor
mining supervisor
mixer
mixer of fertiliser
mixer of fertilizer
mononitrotoluene operator
neutraliser
neutralizer
nitrator operator
nitro-separator operative
nitro-separator operator
nitroglycerin gravity separator
nitroglycerin neutraliser
nitroglycerin nitrator operator
nitroglycerin production operative
nitroglycerin production operator
nitroglycerin production worker
nitroglycerin separator operative
nitroglycerin separator operator
nitroglycerin separator tender
nitroglycerin separator worker
nitroglycerin- separator operative
nitroglycerin-nitrator operator
nitroglycerin-separator operator
nitroglycerin-separator tender
nitroglycerin-separator worker
nitroglycerine neutralizer
non woven filament machine operator
non woven yarn worker
non-woven filament machine operator
non-woven yarn worker
nonwoven filament machine operator
nonwoven filament machinist
nonwoven yarn worker
oil field gauger
oil gauger
oil refiner
oil refinery expert
oil well gauger
operator of soap flake drier machine
operator of soap flake dryer machine
paint maker
paint mixer
paint mixer operative
paint mixer operator
paint mixer worker
paint production assistant
paint production worker
panel controller
perfume factory worker
perfume plant worker
perfume production machine operative
perfume production machine operator
perfume production machine tender
perfume production machine worker
perfume production worker
pesticide mixer
pesticide mixing machine operative
pesticide mixing machine operator
pesticide mixing machine setter
pesticide mixing machine tender
petroleum refinery operator
petroleum refinery technician
pharmaceutical fermenter operator
pharmaceutical granulating machine operative
pharmaceutical granulating machine operator
pharmaceutical granulation machine operative
pharmaceutical granulation operative
pharmaceutical granulation operator
pharmaceutical granulator
pharmaceutical machine operative
pharmaceutical machine operator
piling machine operative
piling machine operator
piling machine tender
pill maker
pill maker operator
pill production operative
pill production operator
pill production process worker
pill production worker
pillmaker operator
pipeline gauger
plodder operative
plodder operator
plodder worker
plodding-machine minder
plodding-machine operative
plodding-machine operator
plodding-machine worker
pyrotechnics drying room attendant
pyrotechnics production worker
refinery gauger
refinery technician
regenerative kiln operator
rig gauger
rotary kiln operator
running kiln operator
shaft kiln operator
soap and cosmetics maker
soap boiler
soap chipper
soap chipper feeder
soap chipper operative
soap chipper operator
soap chipper tender
soap chipping machine feeder
soap chipping machine operative
soap chipping machine operator
soap chipping machine tender
soap chipping machine worker
soap compression machine operative
soap compression machine operator
soap compression machine worker
soap drier machine tender
soap drier operator
soap drier tender
soap dryer machine tender
soap dryer operator
soap factory operator
soap maker
soap plant operative
soap plant worker
soap powder production operative
soap powder production worker
soap production operative
soap production worker
soap tower operator
soapmaker
synthetic paint & varnish maker
synthetic paint and varnish maker
tablet making machine operative
tablet making machine operator
tablet making machine tender
tablet production operative
tablet production operator
tablet production process worker
tablet production worker
tetryl nitrator operator
tetryl-nitrator operator
tower operative (soap)
tower operator
tower operator (soap)
tracer powder blender
tracer powder maker
tracer powder mixer
tracer-powder blender
varnish & paint maker
varnish and paint maker
varnish blender
varnish cooker
varnish maker
varnish melter
varnish production process operative
varnish production process worker
varnish production worker
vertical kiln operator
viscous soap machine operative
viscous soap machine operator
viscous soap machine worker
wax bleacher
wax bleacher (chemical)
wax pumper
well gauger
wet-mix operator

What next?

Future-proof jobs that draw on skills close to this one. They are leads to explore, not an assessment of your profile.

Indicative matches: at launch they will come from the skills listed in official occupational directories.

Gauges

Risk 4/5 · High

AI exposureLowBLS AI exposure category "low" (2026), higher than the ILO 2025 index (very low)

Employment outlookSharp declineBLS, 2025-2035 projections (Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders; Chemical plant and system operators; Chemical equipment operators and tenders (+9))

Hiring difficultyNot availableNo US indicator measures hiring difficulty job by job

PayAverageBLS, 2025 median annual wage: $58,063

EntryQuickBLS, typical education needed for entry

No US indicator measures hiring difficulty job by job: this gauge stays empty. How countries are compared

Sources

AI exposure categories and employment projections, 2025-2035 (XLSX file)Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States · August 2026 · official statistics
Generative AI and Jobs: a refined global index of occupational exposureInternational Labour Organization and NASK · May 2025 · large survey
ESCO, European classification of skills, competences, qualifications and occupations (job titles and O*NET crosswalk)European Commission · version 1.2 · official statistics
Jobs in 2030: projections by occupational family (summary table)Dares and France Stratégie · March 2022 · official statistics
Labour needs survey (BMO) 2026France Travail · 2026 · large survey
EURES report on labour shortages and surpluses 2025, annexEuropean Labour Authority · June 2026 · official statistics

Checked on 27 October 2026.