Gas Plant Operators
Gas Plant Operators earn an average annual salary of $121,763, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. While facing some shifts, the field is adapting to changes in the job market. 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 Gas Plant Operators workforce.
Employment Over Time
630 Workforce in 2023
The Gas Plant Operators workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Gas Plant Operators.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$121,763 Average Wage
In 2023, Gas Plant Operators earned an average of $121,763.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Gas Plant Operators.
Salary distribution for Gas Plant Operators.
Employment Growth Projections
-1.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
1,746 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -9.0%
1,588 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -17.3%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Gas Plant Operators.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Gas Plant Operators and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Gas Plant Operators employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Gas Plant Operators.
Wage Trends by Industry
4.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 3.2% growth (Current: $124,483)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Gas Plant Operators.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Gas Plant 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: 330 employees, $116,888 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Gas Plant Operators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 170 employees, $124,483 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 90 employees, $97,201 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 70 employees, $123,753 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Gas Plant Operators.
Diversity
Demographic information on Gas Plant Operators in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Gas Plant Operators in 2023 was 630 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Gas Plant 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 Gas Plant Operators.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Gas Plant Operators.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Gas Plant Operators in 2023 were Engineering, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Gas Plant Operators.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Gas Plant Operators workers.
Education level distribution for Gas Plant Operators.
Skills
Gas Plant Operators need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Quality Control Analysis.
Required skills for Gas Plant Operators.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Gas Plant Operators.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Gas Plant Operators include Public Safety and Security, Mechanical, English Language, Computers and Electronics, Mathematics.
Knowledge areas required for Gas Plant Operators.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Gas Plant Operators include Perceptual Speed, Near Vision, Problem Sensitivity, Auditory Attention, Selective Attention.
Required abilities for Gas Plant Operators.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Gas Plant Operators.
Daily Activities
Gas Plant Operators spend their time on activities such as Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Getting Information, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards.
Most important work activities for Gas Plant Operators.
About
Gas Plant Operators
The average yearly wage for Gas Plant Operators was $121,763 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-8092 - Gas Plant Operators
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Gas Plant Operators reports an average salary of $121,763, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 630 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -1.9%, 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.