Chemical Plant and System Operators
Chemical Plant and System Operators earn an average annual salary of $91,076, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 118.5% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Chemical Plant and System Operators workforce.
Employment Over Time
590 Workforce in 2023
The Chemical Plant and System Operators workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Chemical Plant and System Operators.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$91,076 Average Wage
In 2023, Chemical Plant and System Operators earned an average of $91,076.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Chemical Plant and System Operators.
Salary distribution for Chemical Plant and System Operators.
Employment Growth Projections
-4.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
1,328 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -19.0%
1,075 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -34.4%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Chemical Plant and System Operators.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Chemical Plant and System Operators and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Chemical Plant and System Operators employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Chemical Plant and System Operators.
Wage Trends by Industry
2.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -9.2% growth (Current: $103,178)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Chemical Plant and System Operators.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Chemical Plant and System Operators.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 230 employees, $103,178 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Chemical Plant and System Operators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 230 employees, $103,178 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Chemical Plant and System Operators.
Diversity
Demographic information on Chemical Plant and System Operators in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Chemical Plant and System Operators in 2023 was 590 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Chemical Plant and System Operators.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Chemical Plant and System Operators.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Chemical Plant and System Operators.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Chemical Plant and System Operators in 2023 were Business, Social Sciences, General Studies.
Common majors for Chemical Plant and System Operators.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Chemical Plant and System Operators workers.
Education level distribution for Chemical Plant and System Operators.
Skills
Chemical Plant and System Operators need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Quality Control Analysis, Monitoring, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Chemical Plant and System Operators.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Chemical Plant and System Operators.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Chemical Plant and System Operators include Production and Processing, Chemistry, Mechanical, English Language, Public Safety and Security.
Knowledge areas required for Chemical Plant and System Operators.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Chemical Plant and System Operators include Near Vision, Selective Attention, Problem Sensitivity, Oral Expression, Deductive Reasoning.
Required abilities for Chemical Plant and System Operators.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Chemical Plant and System Operators.
Daily Activities
Chemical Plant and System Operators spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Controlling Machines and Processes, Training and Teaching Others.
Most important work activities for Chemical Plant and System Operators.
About
Chemical Plant and System Operators
The average yearly wage for Chemical Plant and System Operators was $91,076 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-8091 - Chemical Plant and System Operators
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Chemical Plant and System Operators reports an average salary of $91,076.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 590 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -4.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.