Chemical Plant and System Operators Salary in the US
A chemical plant and system operators earns a national median of $78,120 a year (mean $79,970) — BLS OEWS May 2025, ranked #243 of 825.
How much does a chemical plant and system operators earn in the US?
A chemical plant and system operators in the United States earns a median of $78,120 a year (mean $79,970), per BLS OEWS May 2025. That is 53% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. About 16,610 people work in this occupation (SOC 51-8091), ranked #243 of 825 by national median pay. Updated annually from BLS OEWS.
Median
$78,120
per year
Mean
$79,970
per year
Employment
16,610
US workers
National rank
#243
of 825 by median
What a chemical plant and system operators earns in the US
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 national estimates, a chemical plant and system operators (SOC 51-8091) earns a median annual wage of $78,120 and a mean (average) of $79,970. The median is the midpoint — half of chemical plant and system operators earn more and half earn less — and is 53% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. The mean is higher than the median when a minority of very high earners pull the average up.
Note: BLS top-codes any annual wage at or above $239,200/year, so occupations at that ceiling share the same figure.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average salary for a chemical plant and system operators in the US?
- The BLS OEWS May 2025 national annual median wage for chemical plant and system operators is $78,120, and the mean (average) is $79,970. The median is the midpoint — half of chemical plant and system operators earn more and half earn less.
- How does chemical plant and system operators pay compare to the US average?
- At $78,120, a chemical plant and system operators earns 53% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The all-occupations US median is $50,980.
- How many chemical plant and system operators are employed in the US?
- BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates about 16,610 chemical plant and system operators employed nationally (SOC 51-8091), across all industries.
- Where does this chemical plant and system operators salary data come from?
- From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 national release — cross-industry, all-ownership estimates, SOC code 51-8091. As US federal government work it is public domain. GeraJobs publishes the figures verbatim; suppressed cells are shown as "—", never estimated.
Compare nearby occupations
- Communications Teachers, Postsecondary$78,580
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- Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists$78,210
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians$78,190
- Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators$78,000
- Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters$78,000
- First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers$77,970
- Therapists, All Other$77,930
- Editors$77,920
- Buyers and Purchasing Agents$77,710
Find chemical plant and system operators jobs with salary ranges
GeraJobs lists live US vacancies with employer-stated salary ranges — see which chemical plant and system operators roles pay above the BLS benchmark.
Data source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) · May 2025 national estimates · SOC 51-8091 · Public domain (U.S. federal government work)
Published verbatim by GeraJobs. Last updated: 2026-06-27. ← All US salaries