Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
51-9011 Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
Operate or tend equipment to control chemical changes or reactions in the processing of industrial or consumer products. Equipment used includes devulcanizers, steam-jacketed kettles, and reactor vessels. Excludes “Chemical Plant and System Operators” (51-8091).
National estimates for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
Industry profile for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
Geographic profile for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
National estimates for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 106,170 |
1.5 % |
$ 25.22 |
$ 52,450 |
0.8 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 14.51 |
$ 18.08 |
$ 23.12 |
$ 29.66 |
$ 38.03 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 30,180 |
$ 37,610 |
$ 48,090 |
$ 61,690 |
$ 79,100 |
Industry profile for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) |
57,400 |
16.34 |
$ 27.46 |
$ 57,120 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing |
22,540 |
7.18 |
$ 22.49 |
$ 46,780 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) |
16,790 |
9.49 |
$ 21.25 |
$ 44,200 |
| Plastics Product Manufacturing |
830 |
0.14 |
$ 27.90 |
$ 58,040 |
| Employment Services |
740 |
0.02 |
$ 18.82 |
$ 39,140 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) |
57,400 |
16.34 |
$ 27.46 |
$ 57,120 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) |
16,790 |
9.49 |
$ 21.25 |
$ 44,200 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing |
22,540 |
7.18 |
$ 22.49 |
$ 46,780 |
| Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing |
590 |
1.06 |
$ 27.13 |
$ 56,430 |
| Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing |
710 |
0.68 |
$ 36.10 |
$ 75,080 |
Top paying industries for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders:
Geographic profile for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Texas |
12,400 |
1.01 |
1.35 |
$ 31.14 |
$ 64,760 |
| New Jersey |
6,840 |
1.78 |
2.36 |
$ 24.01 |
$ 49,940 |
| California |
6,090 |
0.37 |
0.49 |
$ 25.26 |
$ 52,540 |
| Ohio |
5,970 |
1.15 |
1.52 |
$ 24.18 |
$ 50,280 |
| Pennsylvania |
5,860 |
1.05 |
1.39 |
$ 23.08 |
$ 48,000 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| West Virginia |
1,340 |
2.04 |
2.70 |
$ 26.72 |
$ 55,580 |
| Delaware |
850 |
1.96 |
2.60 |
$ 30.91 |
$ 64,280 |
| Tennessee |
5,380 |
1.80 |
2.39 |
$ 24.56 |
$ 51,090 |
| Kentucky |
3,290 |
1.79 |
2.38 |
$ 26.17 |
$ 54,430 |
| New Jersey |
6,840 |
1.78 |
2.36 |
$ 24.01 |
$ 49,940 |
Top paying states for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Wyoming |
300 |
1.15 |
1.53 |
$ 38.82 |
$ 80,740 |
| Montana |
70 |
0.15 |
0.19 |
$ 34.87 |
$ 72,530 |
| Louisiana |
2,510 |
1.40 |
1.86 |
$ 34.74 |
$ 72,260 |
| Texas |
12,400 |
1.01 |
1.35 |
$ 31.14 |
$ 64,760 |
| Delaware |
850 |
1.96 |
2.60 |
$ 30.91 |
$ 64,280 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
7,230 |
0.83 |
1.11 |
$ 23.45 |
$ 48,770 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
5,720 |
1.97 |
2.62 |
$ 34.30 |
$ 71,340 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
3,810 |
1.44 |
1.91 |
$ 25.74 |
$ 53,540 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
3,750 |
0.89 |
1.18 |
$ 24.64 |
$ 51,240 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL |
2,550 |
2.00 |
2.65 |
$ 24.29 |
$ 50,530 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
2,430 |
0.68 |
0.90 |
$ 24.15 |
$ 50,240 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
2,040 |
0.36 |
0.47 |
$ 23.77 |
$ 49,440 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN |
1,560 |
1.52 |
2.02 |
$ 24.78 |
$ 51,540 |
| Cleveland-Elyria, OH |
1,460 |
1.51 |
2.01 |
$ 23.76 |
$ 49,420 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI |
1,280 |
0.71 |
0.94 |
$ 25.04 |
$ 52,090 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Midland, MI |
800 |
23.12 |
30.68 |
$ 31.88 |
$ 66,310 |
| Decatur, AL |
370 |
6.75 |
8.95 |
$ 32.60 |
$ 67,810 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX |
990 |
6.71 |
8.91 |
$ 34.15 |
$ 71,030 |
| East Stroudsburg, PA |
330 |
6.16 |
8.18 |
$ 19.43 |
$ 40,420 |
| Sheboygan, WI |
300 |
5.21 |
6.92 |
$ 21.51 |
$ 44,750 |
| Evansville, IN-KY |
610 |
4.17 |
5.53 |
$ 23.21 |
$ 48,270 |
| Spartanburg, SC |
640 |
4.10 |
5.45 |
$ 20.80 |
$ 43,260 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI |
540 |
4.07 |
5.40 |
$ 24.27 |
$ 50,490 |
| Johnson City, TN |
310 |
3.97 |
5.26 |
$ 25.18 |
$ 52,380 |
| Longview, WA |
140 |
3.71 |
4.93 |
$ 33.98 |
$ 70,680 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Billings, MT |
30 |
0.40 |
0.53 |
$ 42.51 |
$ 88,420 |
| Baton Rouge, LA |
1,190 |
3.24 |
4.29 |
$ 36.56 |
$ 76,050 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
5,720 |
1.97 |
2.62 |
$ 34.30 |
$ 71,340 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX |
990 |
6.71 |
8.91 |
$ 34.15 |
$ 71,030 |
| Longview, WA |
140 |
3.71 |
4.93 |
$ 33.98 |
$ 70,680 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA |
160 |
1.35 |
1.79 |
$ 33.04 |
$ 68,710 |
| Decatur, AL |
370 |
6.75 |
8.95 |
$ 32.60 |
$ 67,810 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA |
90 |
0.70 |
0.93 |
$ 32.46 |
$ 67,520 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA |
90 |
0.85 |
1.13 |
$ 32.13 |
$ 66,830 |
| Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS |
330 |
2.25 |
2.99 |
$ 32.09 |
$ 66,750 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders:
About May 2021 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.
(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.
(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 OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
United States Department of Labor
