Chemical Plant and System Operators Salary
Production Occupations · 17K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$78,120
Median hourly
$38
Average annual
$79,970
Typical range
$48,400–$111,930
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Chemical Plant and System Operators is $78,120 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $38 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Control or operate entire chemical processes or system of machines..
Most earn between $48,400 and $111,930 a year. There are roughly 17K people employed as chemical plant and system operators in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Chemical Plant and System Operators.
- Hourly
- $37.56
- Daily
- $300
- Weekly
- $1,502
- Bi-weekly
- $3,005
- Monthly
- $6,510
- Annual
- $78,120
$78,120 a year is around the 50th percentile for Chemical Plant and System Operatorss. The median is $78,120.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Florida$128,830
- 2Wyoming$107,810
- 3Texas$102,750
- 4Louisiana$100,060
- 5Kentucky$97,550
- 6Maryland$95,150
- 7Alabama$91,610
- 8Arkansas$91,610
- 9California$87,550
- 10Oregon$87,110
- 11New Jersey$86,820
- 12Massachusetts$83,710
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX$117,430
- 2San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$111,900
- 3Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$106,020
- 4Baton Rouge, LA$104,410
- 5Lake Charles, LA$102,310
- 6Mobile, AL$96,210
- 7New Orleans-Metairie, LA$92,260
- 8New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$90,470
- 9Worcester, MA$88,510
- 10Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$87,210
- 11Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$84,390
- 12Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$82,170
Related job titles
Employers advertise Chemical Plant and System Operators roles under these titles.
- Ammonia Technician
- Badger Distiller Operator
- Bucket Wash Operator
- Chemical Treatment Plant Technician
- Denitrator
- Front Wash Operator
- Furnace Plant Operator
- Furnace Process Plant Operator
- Furnace Utility Operator
- Loader Technician
- Naphtha Washing System Operator
- Nitric Acid Plant Operator
- Nitrogen Operator
- Pharmaceutical Development Technician
- Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Machine Operator
- Plant Associate
Related occupations
- Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$58,040
- Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$51,610
- Power Plant Operators$102,040
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$60,020
- Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers$96,710
- Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders$43,530
- Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators$77,320
- Gas Plant Operators$87,820
What a Chemical Plant and System Operators does
- Inspect operating units, such as towers, soap-spray storage tanks, scrubbers, collectors, or driers to ensure that all are functioning and to maintain maximum efficiency.
- Draw samples of products and conduct quality control tests to monitor processing and to ensure that standards are met.
- Patrol work areas to ensure that solutions in tanks or troughs are not in danger of overflowing.
- Turn valves to regulate flow of products or byproducts through agitator tanks, storage drums, or neutralizer tanks.
- Monitor recording instruments, flowmeters, panel lights, or other indicators and listen for warning signals to verify conformity of process conditions.
- Regulate or shut down equipment during emergency situations, as directed by supervisory personnel.
- Control or operate chemical processes or systems of machines, using panelboards, control boards, or semi-automatic equipment.
- Move control settings to make necessary adjustments on equipment units affecting speeds of chemical reactions, quality, or yields.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Chemical Plant and System Operators make?
- The median annual wage for Chemical Plant and System Operators is $78,120 ($38 per hour). Pay ranges from about $48,400 at the 10th percentile to $111,930 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Chemical Plant and System Operators?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $79,970, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Chemical Plant and System Operatorss the most?
- Florida has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $128,830.
- Is Chemical Plant and System Operators a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 17K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Chemical Plant and System Operators do?
- Inspect operating units, such as towers, soap-spray storage tanks, scrubbers, collectors, or driers to ensure that all are functioning and to maintain maximum efficiency.; Draw samples of products and conduct quality control tests to monitor processing and to ensure that standards are met.; Patrol work areas to ensure that solutions in tanks or troughs are not in danger of overflowing..