Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
51-9012 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. Excludes “Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders” (51-9011).
National estimates for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Industry profile for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Geographic profile for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
National estimates for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 48,620 |
2.1 % |
$ 22.62 |
$ 47,060 |
0.7 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 14.27 |
$ 17.67 |
$ 22.13 |
$ 26.28 |
$ 31.56 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 29,680 |
$ 36,750 |
$ 46,030 |
$ 54,650 |
$ 65,650 |
Industry profile for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Beverage Manufacturing |
20,120 |
7.17 |
$ 23.16 |
$ 48,180 |
| Dairy Product Manufacturing |
5,410 |
3.53 |
$ 22.19 |
$ 46,160 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) |
3,310 |
0.94 |
$ 24.02 |
$ 49,970 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing |
2,650 |
0.84 |
$ 21.66 |
$ 45,050 |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places |
2,600 |
0.03 |
$ 22.83 |
$ 47,490 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Beverage Manufacturing |
20,120 |
7.17 |
$ 23.16 |
$ 48,180 |
| Dairy Product Manufacturing |
5,410 |
3.53 |
$ 22.19 |
$ 46,160 |
| Grain and Oilseed Milling |
1,940 |
3.08 |
$ 21.63 |
$ 44,980 |
| Metal Ore Mining |
450 |
1.10 |
$ 28.30 |
$ 58,870 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) |
3,310 |
0.94 |
$ 24.02 |
$ 49,970 |
Top paying industries for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
Geographic profile for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
8,510 |
0.51 |
1.49 |
$ 25.80 |
$ 53,670 |
| Texas |
3,480 |
0.28 |
0.82 |
$ 20.96 |
$ 43,600 |
| Pennsylvania |
2,150 |
0.39 |
1.12 |
$ 23.12 |
$ 48,090 |
| Colorado |
1,890 |
0.72 |
2.09 |
$ 21.27 |
$ 44,250 |
| North Carolina |
1,840 |
0.42 |
1.20 |
$ 22.41 |
$ 46,610 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Wyoming |
440 |
1.69 |
4.88 |
$ 36.53 |
$ 75,970 |
| Maine |
560 |
0.95 |
2.74 |
$ 24.01 |
$ 49,940 |
| South Dakota |
360 |
0.86 |
2.50 |
$ 19.61 |
$ 40,790 |
| Nebraska |
820 |
0.86 |
2.49 |
$ 18.74 |
$ 38,970 |
| Iowa |
1,240 |
0.83 |
2.41 |
$ 22.03 |
$ 45,830 |
Top paying states for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Wyoming |
440 |
1.69 |
4.88 |
$ 36.53 |
$ 75,970 |
| Alaska |
160 |
0.55 |
1.60 |
$ 33.14 |
$ 68,920 |
| Nevada |
510 |
0.40 |
1.16 |
$ 27.15 |
$ 56,470 |
| New Jersey |
430 |
0.11 |
0.32 |
$ 26.93 |
$ 56,020 |
| California |
8,510 |
0.51 |
1.49 |
$ 25.80 |
$ 53,670 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
1,140 |
0.20 |
0.58 |
$ 23.78 |
$ 49,460 |
| Napa, CA |
1,030 |
14.96 |
43.34 |
$ 32.92 |
$ 68,470 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO |
930 |
0.64 |
1.85 |
$ 21.33 |
$ 44,360 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
820 |
0.28 |
0.82 |
$ 24.11 |
$ 50,160 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
810 |
0.23 |
0.66 |
$ 20.84 |
$ 43,340 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
800 |
0.30 |
0.88 |
$ 25.70 |
$ 53,450 |
| Santa Rosa, CA |
790 |
4.12 |
11.93 |
$ 28.79 |
$ 59,890 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA |
780 |
0.56 |
1.62 |
$ 23.81 |
$ 49,520 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
730 |
0.17 |
0.50 |
$ 22.91 |
$ 47,660 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
720 |
0.08 |
0.24 |
$ 25.57 |
$ 53,190 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Napa, CA |
1,030 |
14.96 |
43.34 |
$ 32.92 |
$ 68,470 |
| Walla Walla, WA |
110 |
4.32 |
12.52 |
$ 25.70 |
$ 53,460 |
| Santa Rosa, CA |
790 |
4.12 |
11.93 |
$ 28.79 |
$ 59,890 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA |
150 |
3.58 |
10.38 |
$ 23.65 |
$ 49,200 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD |
260 |
3.09 |
8.95 |
$ 19.41 |
$ 40,370 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA |
340 |
3.08 |
8.92 |
$ 25.08 |
$ 52,170 |
| Merced, CA |
170 |
2.39 |
6.92 |
$ 24.86 |
$ 51,710 |
| Modesto, CA |
340 |
1.88 |
5.45 |
$ 24.99 |
$ 51,970 |
| Visalia-Porterville, CA |
270 |
1.81 |
5.23 |
$ 24.88 |
$ 51,760 |
| Wenatchee, WA |
80 |
1.61 |
4.66 |
$ 25.93 |
$ 53,930 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Anchorage, AK |
70 |
0.44 |
1.27 |
$ 44.62 |
$ 92,800 |
| Napa, CA |
1,030 |
14.96 |
43.34 |
$ 32.92 |
$ 68,470 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
190 |
0.17 |
0.50 |
$ 30.41 |
$ 63,240 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX |
150 |
1.00 |
2.90 |
$ 29.20 |
$ 60,730 |
| Santa Rosa, CA |
790 |
4.12 |
11.93 |
$ 28.79 |
$ 59,890 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN |
450 |
0.44 |
1.27 |
$ 28.62 |
$ 59,540 |
| Salinas, CA |
90 |
0.52 |
1.50 |
$ 27.64 |
$ 57,490 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
700 |
0.31 |
0.90 |
$ 27.43 |
$ 57,060 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA |
60 |
0.61 |
1.77 |
$ 27.21 |
$ 56,590 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA |
200 |
0.40 |
1.15 |
$ 26.83 |
$ 55,810 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
United States Department of Labor
