Chemical Plant and System Operators
SOC code 51-8091 · Production Occupations
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $48,400 | $23.27 |
| 25th percentile | $60,330 | $29.01 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $78,120 | $37.56 |
| 75th percentile | $98,660 | $47.44 |
| 90th percentile | $111,930 | $53.81 |
See where a wage ranks
Estimate only, based on linear interpolation between this occupation's BLS OEWS reported percentiles above.
Wages by state (May 2024)
State-level employment and wage estimates for Chemical Plant and System Operators (SOC 51-8091), from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) State estimates, May 2024. Data available for 36 of 51 states/DC for this occupation.
| State | Employment | Mean annual | Median annual | 10th pctl annual | 25th pctl annual | 75th pctl annual | 90th pctl annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | — | $78,890 | $84,490 | $54,370 | $67,580 | $90,560 | $106,470 |
| Arkansas | 160 | $51,030 | $46,130 | $31,560 | $34,650 | $55,910 | $94,220 |
| California | 590 | $88,770 | $88,280 | $73,070 | $75,860 | $108,360 | $108,420 |
| Colorado | — | $62,370 | $60,300 | $52,580 | $56,980 | $62,270 | $78,910 |
| Connecticut | 30 | $65,680 | $62,590 | $52,640 | $62,130 | $63,020 | $63,270 |
| Florida | 230 | $69,010 | $68,640 | $60,550 | $64,670 | $74,230 | $74,230 |
| Georgia | 200 | $59,190 | $62,600 | $44,570 | $50,070 | $68,590 | $73,260 |
| Idaho | 40 | $66,730 | $57,300 | $51,910 | $51,910 | $94,270 | $94,270 |
| Illinois | 290 | $66,780 | $66,580 | $58,540 | $58,620 | $74,150 | $75,730 |
| Indiana | 290 | $54,200 | $51,170 | $41,210 | $45,320 | $58,000 | $74,250 |
| Iowa | — | $58,570 | $60,100 | $49,980 | $51,770 | $61,590 | $63,690 |
| Kentucky | 70 | $97,230 | $98,890 | $70,530 | $78,520 | $114,400 | $131,130 |
| Louisiana | 3,360 | $89,050 | $96,500 | $56,320 | $76,770 | $101,360 | $111,230 |
| Maryland | 320 | $88,710 | $92,930 | $69,370 | $82,060 | $92,930 | $101,160 |
| Massachusetts | 250 | $75,280 | $65,500 | $57,960 | $62,880 | $85,730 | $103,530 |
| Michigan | 90 | $67,420 | $67,230 | $46,960 | $55,410 | $79,970 | $87,180 |
| Minnesota | 110 | $65,650 | $64,420 | $48,440 | $53,190 | $69,450 | $74,810 |
| Mississippi | 300 | $63,880 | $55,750 | $42,850 | $45,900 | $82,610 | $100,050 |
| Missouri | 370 | $58,740 | $50,700 | $47,170 | $50,600 | $66,180 | $86,310 |
| Montana | 120 | $72,630 | $65,190 | $52,480 | $65,190 | $82,900 | $98,040 |
| New Jersey | 320 | $87,950 | $88,550 | $69,420 | $78,410 | $93,230 | $111,960 |
| New York | 120 | $65,990 | $61,050 | $51,820 | $53,380 | $80,860 | $84,330 |
| North Carolina | 1,130 | $57,510 | $56,630 | $46,300 | $50,090 | $62,940 | $69,020 |
| North Dakota | 410 | $103,780 | $112,970 | $90,170 | $98,060 | $112,970 | $112,970 |
| Ohio | 460 | $65,420 | $65,510 | $49,520 | $56,870 | $73,560 | $75,780 |
| Pennsylvania | 750 | $73,490 | $75,660 | $50,880 | $63,580 | $79,390 | $84,440 |
| South Carolina | 480 | $59,140 | $61,100 | $45,380 | $48,470 | $66,650 | $72,560 |
| South Dakota | 180 | $56,290 | $56,690 | $49,750 | $50,440 | $56,960 | $68,900 |
| Tennessee | 260 | $64,880 | $66,140 | $43,620 | $57,760 | $73,830 | $80,220 |
| Texas | 2,980 | $89,970 | $99,250 | $48,140 | $63,110 | $105,010 | $120,260 |
| Utah | 330 | $57,620 | $53,420 | $48,780 | $51,300 | $62,990 | $63,580 |
| Virginia | — | $61,890 | $61,950 | $36,140 | $48,590 | $76,550 | $82,140 |
| Washington | 220 | $76,420 | $58,280 | $48,150 | $49,650 | $103,940 | $107,790 |
| West Virginia | 230 | $72,590 | $67,600 | $44,940 | $48,250 | $89,890 | $98,960 |
| Wisconsin | 110 | $56,830 | $51,000 | $47,590 | $48,930 | $61,150 | $74,010 |
| Wyoming | 320 | $100,150 | $104,420 | $78,920 | $94,790 | $110,880 | $110,880 |
Hourly by-state wages are in the source dataset but not rendered here (annual only, to keep this table a manageable width); see the source link below for the full file. BLS suppresses some state-level figures for reliability: an em dash (—) means BLS did not publish that figure for this state and occupation. Per BLS’s own field definitions: "*" = a wage estimate is not available; "**" = an employment estimate is not available; "#" = a wage equal to or greater than $115.00 per hour or $239,200 per year (all three are shown here as —, not guessed). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), State occupational employment and wage estimates, May 2024.
Similar-paying occupations in Production Occupations
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- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers 51-2011$65,380/yr
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 estimates. Wage figures are BLS OEWS estimates and may not reflect current pay.