SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Distribute or process gas for utility companies and others by controlling compressors to maintain specified pressures on main pipelines.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-8092.
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 | $61,350 | $5,112 | $1,180 | $29.50 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $76,870 | $6,406 | $1,478 | $36.96 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $87,820 | $7,318 | $1,689 | $42.22 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $100,870 | $8,406 | $1,940 | $48.49 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $115,520 | $9,627 | $2,222 | $55.54 |
* 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 Gas Plant Operators is $87,820, which is 72% higher. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 5 by median pay. With 18,030 jobs, it makes up about 1.2 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Gas Plant Operators pay by state
The highest median pay was in California ($130,220), New Jersey ($110,900) and Oregon ($109,760). The lowest was in Kentucky ($63,070), Tennessee ($66,560) and Florida ($67,170). The most jobs were in Texas (2,550), Pennsylvania (1,370) and Oklahoma (970). The occupation is most concentrated in North Dakota, where its share of all jobs is 15.6 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 800 | $130,220 | $120,680 | $62.61 |
| New Jersey | 190 | $110,900 | $111,490 | $53.32 |
| Oregon | 70 | $109,760 | $110,010 | $52.77 |
| Connecticut | not published | $109,060 | $103,270 | $52.43 |
| Louisiana | 800 | $108,350 | $93,270 | $52.09 |
| Arizona | 140 | $104,600 | $99,250 | $50.29 |
| Massachusetts | 340 | $103,830 | $102,210 | $49.92 |
| Maryland | 180 | $102,950 | $95,350 | $49.49 |
| South Dakota | 90 | $101,450 | $97,770 | $48.78 |
| Arkansas | 400 | $100,870 | $91,850 | $48.49 |
| Michigan | 540 | $100,500 | $101,500 | $48.32 |
| Minnesota | 360 | $100,500 | $93,040 | $48.32 |
| New York | 240 | $98,390 | $99,740 | $47.31 |
| Utah | 160 | $98,300 | $94,590 | $47.26 |
| Colorado | 570 | $98,080 | $93,470 | $47.15 |
| Illinois | 530 | $97,810 | $90,040 | $47.03 |
| New Mexico | 300 | $97,660 | $91,050 | $46.95 |
| North Dakota | 770 | $96,760 | $99,740 | $46.52 |
| Maine | 30 | $93,990 | $89,750 | $45.19 |
| Iowa | 480 | $92,970 | $86,690 | $44.70 |
| Missouri | 220 | $87,820 | $86,680 | $42.22 |
| Nebraska | 270 | $87,790 | $87,760 | $42.21 |
| Virginia | 400 | $86,500 | $87,150 | $41.59 |
| Indiana | 280 | $85,790 | $86,770 | $41.24 |
| Wisconsin | 150 | $85,080 | $85,100 | $40.91 |
| Washington | 120 | $83,650 | $86,700 | $40.22 |
| Montana | 70 | $83,630 | $85,420 | $40.21 |
| West Virginia | 420 | $82,600 | $80,530 | $39.71 |
| Ohio | 570 | $82,130 | $81,040 | $39.49 |
| Mississippi | 340 | $81,600 | $78,290 | $39.23 |
| Wyoming | 480 | $81,550 | $88,140 | $39.21 |
| North Carolina | 320 | $81,460 | $85,560 | $39.16 |
| Georgia | 110 | $81,220 | $80,440 | $39.05 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,370 | $80,810 | $84,020 | $38.85 |
| Kansas | 350 | $80,760 | $82,430 | $38.83 |
| Texas | 2,550 | $79,910 | $81,770 | $38.42 |
| Idaho | 50 | $79,280 | $81,240 | $38.12 |
| Oklahoma | 970 | $78,310 | $77,580 | $37.65 |
| Alabama | not published | $77,120 | $75,660 | $37.08 |
| South Carolina | 280 | $67,580 | $69,080 | $32.49 |
| Florida | 130 | $67,170 | $67,630 | $32.29 |
| Tennessee | 200 | $66,560 | $71,020 | $32.00 |
| Kentucky | 200 | $63,070 | $67,080 | $30.32 |
| Alaska | 220 | not published | not published | not published |
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
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers$106,730 a year
- Power Plant Operators$102,040 a year
- Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers$96,710 a year
- Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators$78,620 a year
- Chemical Plant and System Operators$78,120 a year
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$74,450 a year
Common questions
How much do Gas Plant Operators earn in the United States?
The median pay was $87,820 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $61,350 and the highest-paid 10% more than $115,520.
How many people work as Gas Plant Operators?
About 18,030 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.