process operator
Okay I am greedy as hell. My wife hates it. I am driven by $$$. PERIOD. I went to school for Industrial Maintenance Technology. Technical Degree. I can do Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Machinery repair and trouble shooting, MIG, TIG, and stick weld, Some robotics and PLC's. I am well versed in a lot of fields. I currently work 12hr shifts. They end up turning into 15hr shifts and end up going for 7 to 8 days straight. All this to barley clear $46k in 06 with a metric ton of OT. To say the least here in KY it sucks. I need a change. Be it the wife likes it or not.
I work in the same field but in online analyzers. I work the same schedule as operations. The pay and benefits are second to none, but you will give up alot of your life to get there. No different than any other high paying job.....
Personally I LOVE it! They are also paying for my second degree and allowing me to work straight nights to get it.
Personally I LOVE it! They are also paying for my second degree and allowing me to work straight nights to get it.
As said before. Theres good and bad. We don`t make this kind of money because everyone wants to do it. There are sacrifices you have to make. I don`t make all my girls functions etc. But most I do. But what is most important. When you do get time off you family comes first. Not hunting, racing, tit bars etc. Your wife and kids. When this happens your marriage will work. I know because I`ve went threw it on both sides. I`ve been blessed with a good wife and a job that has given me things I use to dream of. My older kids in college and my little ones are spoiled. My wife has everything she wants just about. As for me, I have a good family and my WS6
So yes, its hard sometimes, but the amount of money you make to take GOOD care of your family is worth it. As for this, and I think I speak for all of us. You need to make sure you have a good women at home. Not going out while your working nights etc. Thats the key! I think if you decide to do this you will enjoy it. Good Luck and God Bless!
So yes, its hard sometimes, but the amount of money you make to take GOOD care of your family is worth it. As for this, and I think I speak for all of us. You need to make sure you have a good women at home. Not going out while your working nights etc. Thats the key! I think if you decide to do this you will enjoy it. Good Luck and God Bless! 
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 8,423
Likes: 0
From: Friendswood,TX
Originally Posted by beardWS6
Went to work for amoco sold to BP. Now we`re Ineos. Love it and the money is awesome. Lots of overtime if you want it. Our pay tops at 31hr. Never have made less than 120K year. Made alot more when I wanted. Great job, good benefits and retirement pension. Wouldn`t trade it for anything. I make more money than most that get 6-8 year degrees. Good luck! And yes, the baby boomers are starting to retire. The industry is hiring bigtime!
Toxic- which plant you work at for BP? I`m out at Chocolate Bayou plant.
Toxic- which plant you work at for BP? I`m out at Chocolate Bayou plant.
I work for BP Chem in Texas City.
DO you know Steve Little? He is a safety man where you work. If so tell him Josh says hi. i appreciate all the honest responses. i just need to talk to my wife about all this. im sure the divorce rate cant be any worse then the military. granted you have to work long hours and work a rotating shift, but at least you come home at the end of the day. I've done 3 deployments and have been gone for 7+ months each time. if we can make it through that, i think we will be ok.
im between attending San Jacinto College for my AAS to be a Operator or going to S.A.M. (school of automotive machinist) im wanting what has more job security, and better benifits. granted going to SAM would be awesome, but the pay with jobs is just so broad. i could either be making $17 a hour, or 150k+ a year. being a operator im already prety sure of what im getting into and the kinda income ill be making. also i know there is good benifits. so its just something i have to figure out for myself. i appreaciate all the great help though.
Jon
im between attending San Jacinto College for my AAS to be a Operator or going to S.A.M. (school of automotive machinist) im wanting what has more job security, and better benifits. granted going to SAM would be awesome, but the pay with jobs is just so broad. i could either be making $17 a hour, or 150k+ a year. being a operator im already prety sure of what im getting into and the kinda income ill be making. also i know there is good benifits. so its just something i have to figure out for myself. i appreaciate all the great help though.
Jon
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TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,097
Likes: 0
From: Fort Worth / Crowley / Burleson, Texas
Originally Posted by JMBLOWNWS6
Same. 50 min to 70 + We work a TON! Power prices are at a all time high and the market is doing well.
I have 7 years of FCC/boiler/lt oil treating and gas treating experience plus a degree. Shift work is hard on married life. She has to understand that you can make 650.00 in 12 hours so when OT is offered you better jump on it. My worst year was 86K and ive had a string of 100K+ years. If you can find another job that you make 100k+ (with a 2 yr degree) and work 14 days a month jump on it and send me a PM lol
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 0
Likes: 0
From: Houston,TX
I have 7 years of FCC/boiler/lt oil treating and gas treating experience plus a degree. Shift work is hard on married life. She has to understand that you can make 650.00 in 12 hours so when OT is offered you better jump on it. My worst year was 86K and ive had a string of 100K+ years. If you can find another job that you make 100k+ (with a 2 yr degree) and work 14 days a month jump on it and send me a PM lol
Cant wait to finish my degree. 3yrs as a welder in the plants plus a 2yr degree will look good. My dream is to be in operations or work for a terminal since its pretty chill there working with tanks.
I worked at the Bayport plant for almost 6yrs, good place to work minus the 4 on, 4 off schedule.
I've been an operator since I was 20, 34 now. I finished my aas from san jac and was easily able to get a job when I finished. The trick if you are young is to stay home and save money as long as you can. Putting as much as possible down on your first home will help you out tremendously in the long run. Since for most it will be the most money you have ever made, max out your 401k every yr. If you want to truely be successful you need to have some sort of side business. I've worked with several operators over the yrs who are very, very well off.
I could see how shift work could suck if you have always worked a regular job. I really like shift work and love my time off during the week when everyone else is at work. On nights and weekends at most plants operators watch tv, movies, play games, or just catch up on sleep. Operators are masters at making any chair comfortable to sleep in, lol.
For money most pay $35-$40 per hr and with overtime most will make $100-$150k. This yr I've worked more than I would have liked but made $135 with over 500hrs of overtime.
I've been an operator since I was 20, 34 now. I finished my aas from san jac and was easily able to get a job when I finished. The trick if you are young is to stay home and save money as long as you can. Putting as much as possible down on your first home will help you out tremendously in the long run. Since for most it will be the most money you have ever made, max out your 401k every yr. If you want to truely be successful you need to have some sort of side business. I've worked with several operators over the yrs who are very, very well off.
I could see how shift work could suck if you have always worked a regular job. I really like shift work and love my time off during the week when everyone else is at work. On nights and weekends at most plants operators watch tv, movies, play games, or just catch up on sleep. Operators are masters at making any chair comfortable to sleep in, lol.
For money most pay $35-$40 per hr and with overtime most will make $100-$150k. This yr I've worked more than I would have liked but made $135 with over 500hrs of overtime.
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 0
Likes: 0
From: Houston,TX
I worked at the Bayport plant for almost 6yrs, good place to work minus the 4 on, 4 off schedule.
I've been an operator since I was 20, 34 now. I finished my aas from san jac and was easily able to get a job when I finished. The trick if you are young is to stay home and save money as long as you can. Putting as much as possible down on your first home will help you out tremendously in the long run. Since for most it will be the most money you have ever made, max out your 401k every yr. If you want to truely be successful you need to have some sort of side business. I've worked with several operators over the yrs who are very, very well off.
I could see how shift work could suck if you have always worked a regular job. I really like shift work and love my time off during the week when everyone else is at work. On nights and weekends at most plants operators watch tv, movies, play games, or just catch up on sleep. Operators are masters at making any chair comfortable to sleep in, lol.
For money most pay $35-$40 per hr and with overtime most will make $100-$150k. This yr I've worked more than I would have liked but made $135 with over 500hrs of overtime.
I've been an operator since I was 20, 34 now. I finished my aas from san jac and was easily able to get a job when I finished. The trick if you are young is to stay home and save money as long as you can. Putting as much as possible down on your first home will help you out tremendously in the long run. Since for most it will be the most money you have ever made, max out your 401k every yr. If you want to truely be successful you need to have some sort of side business. I've worked with several operators over the yrs who are very, very well off.
I could see how shift work could suck if you have always worked a regular job. I really like shift work and love my time off during the week when everyone else is at work. On nights and weekends at most plants operators watch tv, movies, play games, or just catch up on sleep. Operators are masters at making any chair comfortable to sleep in, lol.
For money most pay $35-$40 per hr and with overtime most will make $100-$150k. This yr I've worked more than I would have liked but made $135 with over 500hrs of overtime.
I used to work at a Combined Cycle plant as a operator and now i'm a Mechanic and another plant and have plenty of OT and I also love Mon.-Fri. 7-3:30. Oklahoma state also offers a 2 year degree for operators that my company and OSU built together it might be something to check out. Oh and yes alot of the baby boomers are about to be heading out next 2-6 years there are going to be a lot of job openings.
Go to San Jac and get the degree. Then you can get a job making 6 figures within 3 years. Exxon is building their world headquarters in the Woodlands right now. It opens in 2014 and there will be over 4k jobs there. They are building small pilot plant and R&D facilities also so there will be a need for operators and lab techs. I have been doing this a long time ==over 20 years and you can make some good money==well over 100k a year with overtime. Some people cannot handle shift work and some can. Some people cannot handle working with dangerous chemicals and some can. Depends on the individual but I would rather put up with some crap and make 130k a year than put up with the same crap in a day job and make 70k or less.