Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
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. Includes dairy processing equipment operators.
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Quality Control Analysis
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Judgment and Decision Making
Key knowledge
- Production and Processing
- English Language
- Food Production
- Education and Training
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
- Computers and Electronics
What the work involves
- Set up or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, or pressure.
- Monitor material flow or instruments, such as temperature or pressure gauges, indicators, or meters, to ensure optimal processing conditions.
- Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory analysis.
- Test samples to determine viscosity, acidity, specific gravity, or degree of concentration, using test equipment such as viscometers, pH meters, or hydrometers.
- Measure or weigh materials to be refined, mixed, transferred, stored, or otherwise processed.
- Clean or sterilize tanks, screens, inflow pipes, production areas, or equipment, using hoses, brushes, scrapers, or chemical solutions.
- Inspect machines or equipment for hazards, operating efficiency, malfunctions, wear, or leaks.
- Dump, pour, or load specified amounts of refined or unrefined materials into equipment or containers for further processing or storage.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (83.4% of expert ratings)
- Related experience
- None (47.2%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months (51%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 2: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Low | Lower on contact with others than 61% of occupations compared | 69% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Low | Lower on dealing with the public than 67% of occupations compared | 36% of surveyed respondents chose “Not important at all” |
| Teamwork | Low | Lower on teamwork than 62% of occupations compared | 57% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Very low | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 88% of occupations compared | 63% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom” |
| Time pressure | Very high | Higher on time pressure than 95% of occupations compared | — |
| Conflict situations | High | Higher on conflict situations than 79% of occupations compared | — |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Very high | Higher on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 82% of occupations compared | 38% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Consequence of error | Very high | Higher on consequence of error than 83% of occupations compared | — |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: very high
- Conflict situations: high
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very high
- Consequence of error: very high
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Occasional contact with others: 19.01%
- Contact with others about half the time: 5.99%
- Contact with others most of the time: 5.99%
- Constant contact with others: 69.01%
n = 12, Incumbent 08/2026
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 35.95%
- Fairly important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Important: 26.03%
- Very important: 5.99%
- Extremely important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 12, Incumbent 08/2026
Teamwork
- Not important at all: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Fairly important: 19.01%
- Important: 5.99%
- Very important: 17.98%
- Extremely important: 57.02%
n = 12, Incumbent 08/2026
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 5.99%
- Very little freedom: 13.02%
- Limited freedom: 11.98%
- Some freedom: 63.02%
- A lot of freedom: 5.99%
n = 12, Incumbent 08/2026
Time pressure
- Never: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a year or more but not every month: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a month or more but not every week: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a week or more but not every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 12, Incumbent 08/2026
Conflict situations
- Never: 11.98%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 5.99%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 32.02%
- Once a week or more but not every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Every day: 11.98%
n = 12, Incumbent 08/2026
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 11.98%
- Once a year or more but not every month: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a month or more but not every week: 32.02%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 38.02%
- Every day: 17.98%
n = 12, Incumbent 08/2026
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Fairly serious: 25%
- Serious: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Very serious: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Extremely serious: 30.99%
n = 12, Incumbent 08/2026
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O*NET-SOC 51-9012.00 · SOC 51-9012 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8