SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-9012.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $36,200 | $3,017 | $696 | $17.40 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $44,410 | $3,701 | $854 | $21.35 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $51,610 | $4,301 | $992 | $24.81 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $63,930 | $5,328 | $1,229 | $30.74 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $79,750 | $6,646 | $1,534 | $38.34 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is $51,610, which is about the same. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 29 by median pay. With 60,100 jobs, it makes up about 3.9 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay by state
The highest median pay was in Wyoming ($108,900), Nevada ($62,960) and New Hampshire ($60,340). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($32,000), West Virginia ($35,870) and New Mexico ($41,370). The most jobs were in California (14,210), New York (3,490) and Tennessee (2,450). The occupation is most concentrated in Wyoming, where its share of all jobs is 3.8 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | 410 | $108,900 | $88,980 | $52.35 |
| Nevada | 270 | $62,960 | $64,590 | $30.27 |
| New Hampshire | 590 | $60,340 | $61,080 | $29.01 |
| Wisconsin | 1,520 | $60,100 | $59,740 | $28.89 |
| Virginia | 2,130 | $59,480 | $62,230 | $28.60 |
| North Dakota | 270 | $59,390 | $59,750 | $28.56 |
| Kentucky | 1,500 | $58,770 | $56,210 | $28.25 |
| Louisiana | 770 | $58,640 | $57,590 | $28.19 |
| New Jersey | 930 | $58,140 | $62,770 | $27.95 |
| Arizona | 970 | $57,820 | $56,700 | $27.80 |
| Maine | 430 | $57,190 | $59,150 | $27.50 |
| Minnesota | 1,810 | $57,190 | $56,400 | $27.49 |
| Washington | 1,560 | $56,160 | $58,880 | $27.00 |
| New York | 3,490 | $55,990 | $58,250 | $26.92 |
| Maryland | 580 | $55,580 | $58,370 | $26.72 |
| Georgia | 1,210 | $55,500 | $59,040 | $26.68 |
| Indiana | 1,510 | $53,990 | $54,140 | $25.96 |
| Vermont | 230 | $53,570 | $55,420 | $25.76 |
| California | 14,210 | $52,910 | $59,240 | $25.44 |
| Iowa | 1,090 | $52,220 | $55,970 | $25.11 |
| Idaho | 780 | $52,160 | $54,690 | $25.08 |
| Hawaii | 160 | $51,070 | $53,270 | $24.55 |
| South Dakota | 270 | $50,780 | $50,950 | $24.41 |
| Tennessee | 2,450 | $50,470 | $50,000 | $24.26 |
| Connecticut | 310 | $50,370 | $54,190 | $24.22 |
| Oregon | 1,340 | $50,160 | $55,770 | $24.12 |
| Florida | 1,150 | $49,610 | $55,090 | $23.85 |
| Colorado | 1,970 | $49,590 | $54,540 | $23.84 |
| Michigan | 2,230 | $49,480 | $50,810 | $23.79 |
| Oklahoma | 260 | $49,440 | $52,210 | $23.77 |
| South Carolina | 470 | $49,320 | $50,530 | $23.71 |
| Missouri | 1,590 | $49,290 | $52,760 | $23.70 |
| North Carolina | 1,310 | $49,140 | $52,520 | $23.63 |
| Massachusetts | 510 | $48,970 | $54,470 | $23.54 |
| Kansas | 450 | $48,790 | $54,330 | $23.46 |
| Illinois | 780 | $48,440 | $50,730 | $23.29 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,150 | $48,390 | $50,210 | $23.26 |
| Alaska | 100 | $48,000 | $54,740 | $23.08 |
| Montana | 340 | $47,920 | $51,350 | $23.04 |
| Ohio | 1,470 | $47,640 | $50,070 | $22.90 |
| Delaware | 110 | $47,520 | $49,480 | $22.85 |
| Nebraska | 1,050 | $47,080 | $49,570 | $22.64 |
| Alabama | 140 | $46,970 | $48,320 | $22.58 |
| Texas | 1,460 | $46,910 | $51,330 | $22.55 |
| Rhode Island | 140 | $46,710 | $50,250 | $22.46 |
| Utah | 480 | $46,600 | $49,300 | $22.40 |
| Mississippi | 100 | $43,890 | $46,820 | $21.10 |
| Arkansas | 500 | $41,720 | $43,410 | $20.06 |
| New Mexico | 370 | $41,370 | $44,420 | $19.89 |
| West Virginia | 110 | $35,870 | $38,210 | $17.25 |
| Puerto Rico | 90 | $32,000 | $34,160 | $15.39 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
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Common questions
How much do Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earn in the United States?
The median pay was $51,610 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $36,200 and the highest-paid 10% more than $79,750.
How many people work as Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders?
About 60,100 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.