Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

51-8091 Chemical Plant and System Operators

Control or operate entire chemical processes or system of machines.


National estimates for Chemical Plant and System Operators
Industry profile for Chemical Plant and System Operators
Geographic profile for Chemical Plant and System Operators

National estimates for Chemical Plant and System Operators:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Chemical Plant and System Operators:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
18,710 4.9 % $ 38.12 $ 79,290 1.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Chemical Plant and System Operators:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 22.08 $ 29.65 $ 39.75 $ 47.81 $ 51.77
Annual Wage (2) $ 45,930 $ 61,680 $ 82,670 $ 99,430 $ 107,680


Industry profile for Chemical Plant and System Operators:

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

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Chemical Plant and System Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 13,610 3.78 $ 40.02 $ 83,240
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 1,870 1.81 $ 41.81 $ 86,960
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 1,040 0.31 $ 25.43 $ 52,890
Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) 670 0.37 $ 28.20 $ 58,650
Waste Treatment and Disposal 340 0.35 $ 40.74 $ 84,740

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Chemical Plant and System Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 13,610 3.78 $ 40.02 $ 83,240
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 1,870 1.81 $ 41.81 $ 86,960
Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) 670 0.37 $ 28.20 $ 58,650
Waste Treatment and Disposal 340 0.35 $ 40.74 $ 84,740
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 1,040 0.31 $ 25.43 $ 52,890

Top paying industries for Chemical Plant and System Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 1,870 1.81 $ 41.81 $ 86,960
Waste Treatment and Disposal 340 0.35 $ 40.74 $ 84,740
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 13,610 3.78 $ 40.02 $ 83,240
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing 70 0.02 $ 35.46 $ 73,760
Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing 30 0.05 $ 34.46 $ 71,680


Geographic profile for Chemical Plant and System Operators:

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



Map of employment of chemical plant and system operators by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Chemical Plant and System Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 6,990 0.54 4.25 $ 44.84 $ 93,260
Louisiana 3,150 1.71 13.49 $ 40.14 $ 83,500
Alabama 810 0.40 3.19 $ 36.24 $ 75,380
Indiana 510 0.16 1.29 $ 21.13 $ 43,950
Georgia 480 0.10 0.83 $ 25.94 $ 53,950


Map of location quotient of chemical plant and system operators by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Chemical Plant and System Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Louisiana 3,150 1.71 13.49 $ 40.14 $ 83,500
Texas 6,990 0.54 4.25 $ 44.84 $ 93,260
Wyoming 140 0.53 4.17 $ 40.76 $ 84,770
South Dakota 190 0.44 3.48 $ 22.90 $ 47,630
Alabama 810 0.40 3.19 $ 36.24 $ 75,380


Map of annual mean wages of chemical plant and system operators by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Chemical Plant and System Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 6,990 0.54 4.25 $ 44.84 $ 93,260
California 380 0.02 0.17 $ 43.16 $ 89,780
New Jersey 390 0.10 0.76 $ 42.12 $ 87,610
Wyoming 140 0.53 4.17 $ 40.76 $ 84,770
Louisiana 3,150 1.71 13.49 $ 40.14 $ 83,500



Map of employment of chemical plant and system operators by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Chemical Plant and System Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 4,810 1.58 12.46 $ 45.95 $ 95,570
Baton Rouge, LA 1,550 4.02 31.75 $ 44.13 $ 91,800
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 840 1.63 12.87 $ 39.24 $ 81,620
Mobile, AL 570 3.33 26.31 $ 37.47 $ 77,930
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 310 0.03 0.27 $ 42.40 $ 88,180
Corpus Christi, TX 300 1.67 13.21 $ 44.71 $ 92,990
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 260 0.22 1.74 $ 31.62 $ 65,770
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 210 0.20 1.61 $ 18.75 $ 39,000
Boulder, CO 200 1.04 8.23 $ 31.47 $ 65,450
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 160 0.07 0.52 $ 47.82 $ 99,460


Map of location quotient of chemical plant and system operators by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Chemical Plant and System Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Baton Rouge, LA 1,550 4.02 31.75 $ 44.13 $ 91,800
Mobile, AL 570 3.33 26.31 $ 37.47 $ 77,930
Corpus Christi, TX 300 1.67 13.21 $ 44.71 $ 92,990
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 840 1.63 12.87 $ 39.24 $ 81,620
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 4,810 1.58 12.46 $ 45.95 $ 95,570
Decatur, AL 80 1.47 11.64 (8) (8)
Boulder, CO 200 1.04 8.23 $ 31.47 $ 65,450
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA 110 0.66 5.22 $ 26.61 $ 55,340
Charleston, WV 50 0.48 3.82 $ 27.91 $ 58,040
Evansville, IN-KY 60 0.41 3.23 $ 26.84 $ 55,820


Map of annual mean wages of chemical plant and system operators by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Chemical Plant and System Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 160 0.07 0.52 $ 47.82 $ 99,460
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 4,810 1.58 12.46 $ 45.95 $ 95,570
Corpus Christi, TX 300 1.67 13.21 $ 44.71 $ 92,990
Baton Rouge, LA 1,550 4.02 31.75 $ 44.13 $ 91,800
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 310 0.03 0.27 $ 42.40 $ 88,180
Bakersfield, CA 30 0.10 0.80 $ 41.66 $ 86,660
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 110 0.02 0.14 $ 41.43 $ 86,170
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 100 0.23 1.80 $ 40.46 $ 84,150
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 110 0.04 0.30 $ 39.62 $ 82,400
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 840 1.63 12.87 $ 39.24 $ 81,620

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Chemical Plant and System Operators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 150 1.16 9.14 $ 22.47 $ 46,740
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 90 0.44 3.48 $ 28.47 $ 59,210
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area 80 0.59 4.70 $ 29.73 $ 61,830

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Chemical Plant and System Operators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 150 1.16 9.14 $ 22.47 $ 46,740
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area 80 0.59 4.70 $ 29.73 $ 61,830
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 90 0.44 3.48 $ 28.47 $ 59,210

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Chemical Plant and System Operators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area 80 0.59 4.70 $ 29.73 $ 61,830
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 90 0.44 3.48 $ 28.47 $ 59,210
East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 150 1.16 9.14 $ 22.47 $ 46,740


About May 2022 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 OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023