Plant and System Operators, All Other Salary: $61,710 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 15,950 plant and system operators, all other work nationally, and $61,710 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 56% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 2.2% annual growth.
Plant and System Operators, All Other: what the data shows
Common questions about plant and system operators, all other careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a plant and system operators, all other?
Plant and System Operators, All Other is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-8099.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 15,950 workers.
What does a plant and system operators, all other do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Controlling Machines and Processes, Training and Teaching Others, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a plant and system operators, all other make?
BLS national median annual wage: $61,710 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $75,696 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $46,210 |
| 25th percentile | $61,774 |
| Median (50th) | $75,871 |
| 75th percentile | $84,756 |
| 90th percentile | $104,444 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Quality Control Analysis, Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, Chemistry, Mechanical, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is plant and system operators, all other in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 2.2% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 11.7%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 24.8%.
Current U.S. headcount: 15,950.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do plant and system operators, all others work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 15,950 | 20.7% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 12,810 | 16.6% |
| Manufacturing | 6,640 | 8.6% |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 4,100 | 5.3% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 3,140 | 4.1% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 3,050 | 4.0% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Plant and System Operators, All Other in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Sales & Office Occupations | 1,441,580 | — |
| Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs | 156,260 | $51,500 |
| Psychiatric Aides | 34,900 | $41,590 |
| Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers | 205,230 | $54,660 |
| Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | 12,460 | $65,480 |
| Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | 34,860 | $97,540 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | 318,570 | $96,800 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Plant and System Operators, All Other workforce.
Employment Over Time
15,950 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Plant and System Operators, All Other grew from 5,400 in 2009 to 7,700 in 2025 (42.6%).
Historical employment for Plant and System Operators, All Other from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$61,710 Median pay (BLS national)
Plant and System Operators, All Other earn $61,710 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Plant and System Operators, All Other.
Salary distribution for Plant and System Operators, All Other.
Employment Growth Projections
2.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
8,602 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 11.7%
9,611 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 24.8%
This occupation is projected to grow at 2.2% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Plant and System Operators, All Other.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Plant and System Operators, All Other and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Plant and System Operators, All Other employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Plant and System Operators, All Other.
Wage Trends by Industry
-10.1% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Plant and System Operators, All Other.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Plant and System Operators, All Other.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 4,080 employees, $57,700 avg wage
- CA: 2,000 employees, $73,780 avg wage
- CO: 1,360 employees, $60,790 avg wage
- FL: 660 employees, $60,270 avg wage
- GA: 610 employees, $57,310 avg wage
- PA: 510 employees, $59,140 avg wage
- LA: 480 employees, $66,520 avg wage
- NJ: 380 employees, $75,640 avg wage
- NY: 340 employees, $71,310 avg wage
- IN: 330 employees, $67,420 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Plant and System Operators, All Other.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 1,290 employees, $58,810 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 800 employees, $61,800 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 510 employees, $71,560 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 390 employees, $77,850 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 320 employees, $78,820 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 310 employees, $72,380 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 270 employees, $81,330 avg wage
- Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX: 250 employees, $60,030 avg wage
- San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX: 250 employees, $54,190 avg wage
- Pittsburgh, PA: 230 employees, $54,650 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Plant and System Operators, All Other.
Diversity
Demographic information on Plant and System Operators, All Other in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Plant and System Operators, All Other is about 15,950 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Plant and System Operators, All Other.
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 Plant and System Operators, All Other.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Plant and System Operators, All Other.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Plant and System Operators, All Other in 2023 were Business, Social Sciences, General Studies.
Common majors for Plant and System Operators, All Other.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Plant and System Operators, All Other workers.
Education level distribution for Plant and System Operators, All Other.
Skills
Plant and System Operators, All Other need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Quality Control Analysis, Monitoring, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Plant and System Operators, All Other.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Plant and System Operators, All Other.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Plant and System Operators, All Other include Production and Processing, Chemistry, Mechanical, English Language, Public Safety and Security.
Knowledge areas required for Plant and System Operators, All Other.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Plant and System Operators, All Other include Near Vision, Selective Attention, Problem Sensitivity, Oral Expression, Deductive Reasoning.
Required abilities for Plant and System Operators, All Other.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Plant and System Operators, All Other.
Daily Activities
Plant and System Operators, All Other 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 Plant and System Operators, All Other.
About
Plant and System Operators, All Other
Plant and System Operators, All Other earn $61,710 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
51-8099 - Plant and System Operators, All Other
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Plant and System Operators, All Other reports an average salary of $75,696.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 15,950 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 2.2%, 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.