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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

51-8091 Chemical Plant and System Operators

Control or operate entire chemical processes or system of machines.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
28,840 4.9 % $30.15 $62,710 1.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $16.98 $22.40 $30.07 $37.67 $44.83
Annual Wage (2) $35,330 $46,600 $62,550 $78,360 $93,250


Industry profile for this occupation:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 19,690 5.41 $30.72 $63,890
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 2,520 2.24 $32.92 $68,470
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 1,740 0.59 $25.08 $52,160
Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) 780 0.45 $27.66 $57,530
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing 270 0.06 $28.68 $59,660

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 19,690 5.41 $30.72 $63,890
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 2,520 2.24 $32.92 $68,470
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 1,740 0.59 $25.08 $52,160
Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) 780 0.45 $27.66 $57,530
Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing 120 0.20 $23.76 $49,430

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 2,520 2.24 $32.92 $68,470
Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills 90 0.09 $31.81 $66,170
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 19,690 5.41 $30.72 $63,890
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing 270 0.06 $28.68 $59,660
Scientific Research and Development Services 190 0.03 $28.50 $59,280


Geographic profile for this occupation:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 5,740 0.46 2.35 $33.84 $70,390
Louisiana 5,040 2.62 13.35 $32.87 $68,380
California 1,560 0.09 0.46 $28.47 $59,220
Minnesota 1,460 0.51 2.59 $25.15 $52,300
South Carolina 1,270 0.60 3.07 $25.08 $52,160




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Louisiana 5,040 2.62 13.35 $32.87 $68,380
Wyoming 170 0.63 3.21 $36.43 $75,770
South Carolina 1,270 0.60 3.07 $25.08 $52,160
Alabama 1,070 0.54 2.77 $35.04 $72,880
Iowa 810 0.52 2.67 $29.45 $61,250




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Wyoming 170 0.63 3.21 $36.43 $75,770
Alabama 1,070 0.54 2.77 $35.04 $72,880
Texas 5,740 0.46 2.35 $33.84 $70,390
New Jersey 320 0.08 0.40 $33.59 $69,870
Louisiana 5,040 2.62 13.35 $32.87 $68,380





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 3,920 1.29 6.55 $34.38 $71,510
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 1,750 3.15 16.01 $31.87 $66,290
Baton Rouge, LA 1,460 3.69 18.80 $34.78 $72,350
Lake Charles, LA 1,210 10.49 53.40 $34.19 $71,120
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 810 0.41 2.10 $25.60 $53,250
Mobile, AL 650 3.71 18.90 $35.22 $73,260
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 550 0.12 0.59 $31.21 $64,930
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 540 0.39 2.01 $32.95 $68,540
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 520 0.21 1.07 $32.57 $67,750
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 500 0.08 0.41 (8) (8)




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Lake Charles, LA 1,210 10.49 53.40 $34.19 $71,120
Mobile, AL 650 3.71 18.90 $35.22 $73,260
Baton Rouge, LA 1,460 3.69 18.80 $34.78 $72,350
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 1,750 3.15 16.01 $31.87 $66,290
Lima, OH 120 2.39 12.18 (8) (8)
Corpus Christi, TX 280 1.50 7.66 $40.90 $85,080
Spartanburg, SC 230 1.47 7.51 $22.49 $46,770
Boulder, CO 260 1.39 7.09 $27.75 $57,720
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 3,920 1.29 6.55 $34.38 $71,510
Charleston, WV 80 0.68 3.47 $32.38 $67,350




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 70 0.07 0.34 $41.68 $86,690
Corpus Christi, TX 280 1.50 7.66 $40.90 $85,080
Mobile, AL 650 3.71 18.90 $35.22 $73,260
Baton Rouge, LA 1,460 3.69 18.80 $34.78 $72,350
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 3,920 1.29 6.55 $34.38 $71,510
Lake Charles, LA 1,210 10.49 53.40 $34.19 $71,120
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 270 0.25 1.26 $33.52 $69,720
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 340 0.12 0.60 $33.10 $68,840
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 540 0.39 2.01 $32.95 $68,540
Stockton-Lodi, CA (8) (8) (8) $32.67 $67,950

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 220 1.60 8.14 $37.38 $77,740
Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area 140 1.05 5.36 (8) (8)
East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 120 1.75 8.93 $19.56 $40,680
Northeast South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 120 1.21 6.14 $23.63 $49,140
West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 70 0.37 1.88 $34.10 $70,930

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 120 1.75 8.93 $19.56 $40,680
Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 220 1.60 8.14 $37.38 $77,740
Northeast South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 120 1.21 6.14 $23.63 $49,140
Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area 140 1.05 5.36 (8) (8)
West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 70 0.37 1.88 $34.10 $70,930

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 220 1.60 8.14 $37.38 $77,740
West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 70 0.37 1.88 $34.10 $70,930
Middle Georgia nonmetropolitan area 50 0.36 1.85 $30.19 $62,800
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 70 0.25 1.25 $28.18 $58,620
Northeast South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 120 1.21 6.14 $23.63 $49,140


About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020