Your work. Your records.
Separation Equipment Operator Workplace Records
Separation equipment work may involve monitoring flows, collecting samples, and reporting problems across filters, stills, or other processing units. Organize an employment concern around your assigned unit and work period, using general descriptions of the process.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Assignment periods
List the processing unit and separate monitoring, sampling, and other assigned work periods.
Issue sequence
Record the observation, report, response, and later assignment change in date order.
Source location
Note where relevant shift records are held without exporting confidential production data.
Start with the work you actually do
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.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (51-9012.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Monitor material flow or instruments, such as temperature or pressure gauges, indicators, or meters, to ensure optimal processing conditions.Source task 12357 · updated 08/2026
- Inspect machines or equipment for hazards, operating efficiency, malfunctions, wear, or leaks.Source task 12365 · updated 08/2026
- Set up or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, or pressure.Source task 12356 · updated 08/2026
- Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory analysis.Source task 12360 · updated 08/2026
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (SOC 51-9012). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $19.36 | $22.58 | $26.65 | $46,970 |
| Alaska | $22.44 | $23.08 | $30.03 | $48,000 |
| Arizona | $22.55 | $27.80 | $29.75 | $57,820 |
| Arkansas | $17.47 | $20.06 | $23.24 | $41,720 |
| Connecticut | $22.10 | $24.22 | $29.41 | $50,370 |
| Delaware | $20.36 | $22.85 | $27.77 | $47,520 |
| Florida | $18.73 | $23.85 | $36.33 | $49,610 |
| Georgia | $21.14 | $26.68 | $38.53 | $55,500 |
| Hawaii | $20.71 | $24.55 | $29.98 | $51,070 |
| Idaho | $23.21 | $25.08 | $29.03 | $52,160 |
| Indiana | $23.02 | $25.96 | $27.84 | $53,990 |
| Iowa | $22.27 | $25.11 | $29.27 | $52,220 |
| Kansas | $20.99 | $23.46 | $31.52 | $48,790 |
| Kentucky | $23.90 | $28.25 | $29.34 | $58,770 |
| Louisiana | $21.92 | $28.19 | $34.70 | $58,640 |
| Maine | $23.85 | $27.50 | $29.03 | $57,190 |
| Michigan | $19.15 | $23.79 | $27.34 | $49,480 |
| Minnesota | $23.69 | $27.49 | $29.61 | $57,190 |
| Mississippi | $17.48 | $21.10 | $26.88 | $43,890 |
| Missouri | $18.59 | $23.70 | $28.72 | $49,290 |
| Montana | $20.03 | $23.04 | $27.80 | $47,920 |
| Nebraska | $19.60 | $22.64 | $28.17 | $47,080 |
| New Hampshire | $24.66 | $29.01 | $30.81 | $60,340 |
| New Mexico | $17.70 | $19.89 | $23.66 | $41,370 |
| New York | $23.00 | $26.92 | $31.19 | $55,990 |
| North Carolina | $20.98 | $23.63 | $29.44 | $49,140 |
| North Dakota | $25.74 | $28.56 | $30.47 | $59,390 |
| Ohio | $19.44 | $22.90 | $27.31 | $47,640 |
| Oklahoma | $18.86 | $23.77 | $30.45 | $49,440 |
| Pennsylvania | $18.58 | $23.26 | $27.99 | $48,390 |
| Rhode Island | $18.43 | $22.46 | $26.79 | $46,710 |
| South Dakota | $21.27 | $24.41 | $28.09 | $50,780 |
| Tennessee | $18.22 | $24.26 | $27.34 | $50,470 |
| Texas | $19.20 | $22.55 | $27.77 | $46,910 |
| Utah | $19.27 | $22.40 | $27.73 | $46,600 |
| Vermont | $22.85 | $25.76 | $29.39 | $53,570 |
| Virginia | $23.05 | $28.60 | $37.69 | $59,480 |
| West Virginia | $12.92 | $17.25 | $23.03 | $35,870 |
| Wisconsin | $22.41 | $28.89 | $36.90 | $60,100 |
| Wyoming | $29.69 | $52.35 | $55.05 | $108,900 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Identify the unit and work period
Note the kind of equipment you were assigned to monitor and the beginning and end of that assignment. Separate routine observation, sample collection, and cleanup periods. A batch completion time may not represent all the work you performed.
Describe equipment problems as observed
For a concern involving a malfunction or inspection, record what you observed, when you reported it, and the instruction you received. Separate your own actions from decisions made by a supervisor or maintenance team. This chronology should not substitute for operating or safety procedures.
Protect process information
Use a general unit description in personal notes rather than copying formulas, control settings, product specifications, or full production logs. Preserve personal schedule and employment notices where permitted, and identify where the original inspection or sample entry remains stored.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
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