SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Control or operate entire chemical processes or system of machines.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-8091.
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 | $48,400 | $4,033 | $931 | $23.27 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $60,330 | $5,028 | $1,160 | $29.01 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $78,120 | $6,510 | $1,502 | $37.56 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $98,660 | $8,222 | $1,897 | $47.44 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $111,930 | $9,328 | $2,152 | $53.81 |
* 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 Chemical Plant and System Operators is $78,120, which is 53% higher. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 7 by median pay. With 16,610 jobs, it makes up about 1.1 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Chemical Plant and System Operators pay by state
The highest median pay was in Florida ($128,830), Wyoming ($107,810) and Texas ($102,750). The lowest was in Tennessee ($45,830), Indiana ($49,110) and Georgia ($49,230). The most jobs were in Louisiana (3,400), Texas (2,360) and California (780). The occupation is most concentrated in Louisiana, where its share of all jobs is 16.4 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 60 | $128,830 | $109,100 | $61.94 |
| Wyoming | 300 | $107,810 | $104,740 | $51.83 |
| Texas | 2,360 | $102,750 | $95,620 | $49.40 |
| Louisiana | 3,400 | $100,060 | $95,460 | $48.10 |
| Kentucky | 40 | $97,550 | $99,730 | $46.90 |
| Maryland | 290 | $95,150 | $86,860 | $45.75 |
| Alabama | 230 | $91,610 | $85,710 | $44.04 |
| Arkansas | 240 | $91,610 | $85,470 | $44.04 |
| California | 780 | $87,550 | $91,260 | $42.09 |
| Oregon | 120 | $87,110 | $88,420 | $41.88 |
| New Jersey | 330 | $86,820 | $86,380 | $41.74 |
| Massachusetts | 570 | $83,710 | $85,260 | $40.25 |
| Idaho | 60 | $82,980 | $77,120 | $39.90 |
| West Virginia | 380 | $81,710 | $75,250 | $39.28 |
| New Mexico | not published | $72,610 | $73,430 | $34.91 |
| Michigan | 40 | $72,430 | $71,060 | $34.82 |
| Mississippi | 320 | $71,080 | $71,980 | $34.17 |
| Pennsylvania | 770 | $70,110 | $72,840 | $33.71 |
| South Carolina | 610 | $68,510 | $65,640 | $32.94 |
| Ohio | 240 | $67,580 | $68,160 | $32.49 |
| Minnesota | 150 | $66,500 | $65,940 | $31.97 |
| Illinois | 160 | $65,710 | $68,240 | $31.59 |
| Utah | 320 | $63,460 | $60,990 | $30.51 |
| Virginia | 760 | $63,000 | $64,330 | $30.29 |
| New York | 120 | $62,980 | $69,740 | $30.28 |
| North Carolina | 660 | $62,920 | $61,970 | $30.25 |
| Colorado | 400 | $62,870 | $67,920 | $30.23 |
| Wisconsin | 90 | $62,720 | $65,470 | $30.15 |
| Iowa | 490 | $60,440 | $58,320 | $29.06 |
| Washington | 350 | $60,120 | $71,570 | $28.90 |
| South Dakota | 180 | $59,970 | $58,440 | $28.83 |
| Missouri | 450 | $55,470 | $58,650 | $26.67 |
| Georgia | 220 | $49,230 | $54,060 | $23.67 |
| Indiana | 320 | $49,110 | $53,520 | $23.61 |
| Tennessee | 350 | $45,830 | $52,060 | $22.03 |
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.
Similar occupations by pay
- Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers$96,710 a year
- Gas Plant Operators$87,820 a year
- Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators$78,620 a year
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$74,450 a year
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers$68,120 a year
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers$65,380 a year
Common questions
How much do Chemical Plant and System Operators earn in the United States?
The median pay was $78,120 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $48,400 and the highest-paid 10% more than $111,930.
How many people work as Chemical Plant and System Operators?
About 16,610 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.