Chemical Plant and System Operators pay in the U.S.
$79,970avg. a year
$38.45 an hour · 16,610 employed
Chemical Plant and System Operators in the U.S. earn an average of $79,970 a year and a median of $78,120. Pay is highest in Florida ($109,100) and lowest in Tennessee ($52,060).
$78,120Median pay
$38.45Average hourly
+22%Avg. pay since 2020
16,610Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for chemical plant and system operators
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
160 jobs
Florida
$109,100
$52.45 an hour
2300 jobs
Wyoming
$104,740
$50.36 an hour
340 jobs
Kentucky
$99,730
$47.95 an hour
42,360 jobs
Texas
$95,620
$45.97 an hour
53,400 jobs
Louisiana
$95,460
$45.90 an hour
6780 jobs
California
$91,260
$43.88 an hour
7120 jobs
Oregon
$88,420
$42.51 an hour
8290 jobs
Maryland
$86,860
$41.76 an hour
9330 jobs
New Jersey
$86,380
$41.53 an hour
10230 jobs
Alabama
$85,710
$41.21 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Chemical Plant and System Operators pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $64k$64k–$72k$72k–$86k$86k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $103,110 | $49.57 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $99,170 | $47.68 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $99,020 | $47.61 |
| Lake Charles, LA | $98,990 | $47.59 |
| Mobile, AL | $91,540 | $44.01 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $87,710 | $42.17 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $86,810 | $41.74 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $86,190 | $41.44 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Chemical Plant and System Operators pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $85,710 | $91,610 | 230 |
| Arkansas | $85,470 | $91,610 | 240 |
| California | $91,260 | $87,550 | 780 |
| Colorado | $67,920 | $62,870 | 400 |
| Florida | $109,100 | $128,830 | 60 |
| Georgia | $54,060 | $49,230 | 220 |
| Idaho | $77,120 | $82,980 | 60 |
| Illinois | $68,240 | $65,710 | 160 |
| Indiana | $53,520 | $49,110 | 320 |
| Iowa | $58,320 | $60,440 | 490 |
| Kentucky | $99,730 | $97,550 | 40 |
| Louisiana | $95,460 | $100,060 | 3,400 |
| Maryland | $86,860 | $95,150 | 290 |
| Massachusetts | $85,260 | $83,710 | 570 |
| Michigan | $71,060 | $72,430 | 40 |
| Minnesota | $65,940 | $66,500 | 150 |
| Mississippi | $71,980 | $71,080 | 320 |
| Missouri | $58,650 | $55,470 | 450 |
| New Jersey | $86,380 | $86,820 | 330 |
| New Mexico | $73,430 | $72,610 | – |
| New York | $69,740 | $62,980 | 120 |
| North Carolina | $61,970 | $62,920 | 660 |
| Ohio | $68,160 | $67,580 | 240 |
| Oregon | $88,420 | $87,110 | 120 |
| Pennsylvania | $72,840 | $70,110 | 770 |
| South Carolina | $65,640 | $68,510 | 610 |
| South Dakota | $58,440 | $59,970 | 180 |
| Tennessee | $52,060 | $45,830 | 350 |
| Texas | $95,620 | $102,750 | 2,360 |
| Utah | $60,990 | $63,460 | 320 |
| Virginia | $64,330 | $63,000 | 760 |
| Washington | $71,570 | $60,120 | 350 |
| West Virginia | $75,250 | $81,710 | 380 |
| Wisconsin | $65,470 | $62,720 | 90 |
| Wyoming | $104,740 | $107,810 | 300 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Baton Rouge, LA
$99,170
1,720 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$99,020
1,420 jobsLake Charles, LA
$98,990
740 jobsNew Orleans-Metairie, LA
$86,810
460 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$83,840
410 jobsRichmond, VA
$72,950
340 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$82,270
310 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$103,110
300 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do chemical plant and system operators make?
The average is $79,970 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $78,120 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $38.45, and the median is $37.56 an hour.
Which state pays chemical plant and system operators the most?
Florida, with an average of $109,100 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $103,110.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $48,400 a year, and the top 10% earn over $111,930.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 51-8091. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.