Chemical Plant and System Operators Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for chemical plant and system operators in the U.S. is $78,120 ($37.56 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $78,120
- Mean annual wage
- $79,970
- Median hourly wage
- $37.56
- Employment
- 16,610
16,610 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $48,400 | $23.27 |
| 25th percentile | $60,330 | $29.01 |
| Median (50th) | $78,120 | $37.56 |
| 75th percentile | $98,660 | $47.44 |
| 90th percentile | $111,930 | $53.81 |
Highest-paying states for chemical plant and system operators
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | $128,830 | 60 |
| Wyoming | $107,810 | 300 |
| Texas | $102,750 | 2,360 |
| Louisiana | $100,060 | 3,400 |
| Kentucky | $97,550 | 40 |
| Maryland | $95,150 | 290 |
| Alabama | $91,610 | 230 |
| Arkansas | $91,610 | 240 |
| California | $87,550 | 780 |
| Oregon | $87,110 | 120 |
Lowest-paying states
- Tennessee: $45,830 median annual wage
- Indiana: $49,110 median annual wage
- Georgia: $49,230 median annual wage
- Missouri: $55,470 median annual wage
- South Dakota: $59,970 median annual wage
About this occupation
Control or operate entire chemical processes or system of machines.
Typical tasks
- Interpret chemical reactions visible through sight glasses or on television monitors and review laboratory test reports for process adjustments.
- Repair or replace damaged equipment.
- Turn valves to regulate flow of products or byproducts through agitator tanks, storage drums, or neutralizer tanks.
- Draw samples of products and conduct quality control tests to monitor processing and to ensure that standards are met.
- Monitor recording instruments, flowmeters, panel lights, or other indicators and listen for warning signals to verify conformity of process conditions.
- Record operating data, such as process conditions, test results, or instrument readings.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 6.1% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 38.3% |
| Some college, no degree | 26.5% |
| Associate's degree | 15.9% |
| Bachelor's degree | 11.5% |
| Master's degree | 1.5% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.2% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,650
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$74,450
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$48,570
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$53,750
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$43,220
- Machinists$58,750
- Production Workers, All Other$40,110
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,850
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.