All careers › Chemical Plant and System Operators
Plant technician: pay, job outlook and how to become one
- $48,400lowest 10% earn less
- $60,33025th percentile
- $78,120median
- $98,66075th percentile
- $111,930top 10% earn more
Plant technicians, officially Chemical Plant and System Operators, had a median pay of $78,120 a year[1]. BLS projects the number of jobs to fall 5.2% over the decade, while all occupations grow[2][3].
- Job growth, 2025–35
- -5.2%[2]
- Openings per year
- 1,300[6]
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent[7]
How much do plant technicians make?
The median wage for Chemical Plant and System Operators was $78,120 a year, or $37.56 an hour, in May 2025[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The average was $79,970 a year, or $38.45 an hour[8]. For comparison, the median for all occupations was $50,980 a year[5].
The pay range is wide. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $48,400, and the 25th percentile was $60,330[4]. At the top, the 75th percentile was $98,660 and the 90th percentile was $111,930[4]. In hourly terms, the 10th percentile was $23.27 and the 90th was $53.81[9]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS does not publish a starting salary[10].
These figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed, and they do not include bonuses outside regular production pay or benefits like health insurance[11]. About 16,610 people held these jobs in May 2025[12].
Pay by state and city
Among the 35 states with published data, Florida had the highest median at $128,830, but that rests on only 60 jobs[13]. Wyoming followed at $107,810, then Texas at $102,750 and Louisiana at $100,060[13].
Louisiana had 3,400 jobs and Texas had 2,360, ahead of California with 780[14]. Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA had the highest median at $111,900, followed by Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX at $106,020 and Baton Rouge, LA at $104,410[15]. Baton Rouge had the most jobs of any metro area, at 1,720, and Houston had 1,420[16].
Show median pay in 35 states
| State | Median per year | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Florida[13] | $128,830 | 60 |
| Wyoming | $107,810 | 300 |
| Texas | $102,750 | 2,360 |
| Louisiana | $100,060 | 3,400 |
| Kentucky | $97,550 | 40 |
| Maryland | $95,150 | 290 |
| Alabama | $91,610 | 230 |
| Arkansas | $91,610 | 240 |
| California | $87,550 | 780 |
| Oregon | $87,110 | 120 |
| New Jersey | $86,820 | 330 |
| Massachusetts | $83,710 | 570 |
| Idaho | $82,980 | 60 |
| West Virginia | $81,710 | 380 |
| New Mexico | $72,610 | n/a |
| Michigan | $72,430 | 40 |
| Mississippi | $71,080 | 320 |
| Pennsylvania | $70,110 | 770 |
| South Carolina | $68,510 | 610 |
| Ohio | $67,580 | 240 |
| Minnesota | $66,500 | 150 |
| Illinois | $65,710 | 160 |
| Utah | $63,460 | 320 |
| Virginia | $63,000 | 760 |
| New York | $62,980 | 120 |
| North Carolina | $62,920 | 660 |
| Colorado | $62,870 | 400 |
| Wisconsin | $62,720 | 90 |
| Iowa | $60,440 | 490 |
| Washington | $60,120 | 350 |
| South Dakota | $59,970 | 180 |
| Missouri | $55,470 | 450 |
| Georgia | $49,230 | 220 |
| Indiana | $49,110 | 320 |
| Tennessee | $45,830 | 350 |
How to become a plant technician
The path in the BLS data is short and does not list a license or exam:
- First: finish high school or earn an equivalent diploma[7].
- Next: you do not need work experience in a related job[7].
- Then: learn the job through moderate-term on-the-job training[7].
O*NET places this job in a group that needs very little to some preparation[17]. The facts here do not say how many months the training takes.
What plant technicians do
O*NET describes the work as running whole chemical processes or systems of machines[18]. Typical tasks include:
- Watching instruments, meters and warning signals to check that the process is on track[19].
- Adjusting controls that change how fast reactions run, and the quality or yield of the product[19].
- Taking product samples and running quality tests[19].
- Writing down operating data such as test results and instrument readings[19].
- Walking the work areas to make sure tanks do not overflow[19].
- Shutting down or adjusting equipment in an emergency when supervisors direct it[19].
- Talking with technical and supervisory staff about safety, efficiency and product quality[19].
Workers report job titles such as Chemical Operator, Process Control Operator and Process Operator[20].
Job outlook
BLS projects employment of Chemical Plant and System Operators to decline 5.2% from 2025 to 2035, from about 16,700 to 15,900 jobs[2]. Employment across all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% in that period[3]. These projection counts include self-employed workers, so they differ from the wage survey count[2].
A shrinking job count does not mean no hiring. BLS expects about 1,300 openings a year on average[6]. These come from workers who retire or move to other occupations as well as from new jobs[6]. Each year, 2.4% of workers leave the labor force and 6% move to a different occupation[21].
Is it a good fit?
The pay is above the all-occupations median, and the entry path asks for a high school diploma with on-the-job training[5][1][7]. The entry path does not require related work experience[7]. On the other side, employment is projected to shrink while the whole job market grows[2][3]. Jobs are also concentrated in a few places, led by Louisiana and Texas[14].
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a plant technician make an hour?
- The median for Chemical Plant and System Operators was $37.56 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $38.45[1][8].
- What education do you need to be a plant technician?
- BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent, no related experience, and moderate-term on-the-job training[7].
- Is the plant technician job in demand?
- Employment is projected to decline 5.2% from 2025 to 2035[2], but about 1,300 openings a year are expected from retirements, job changes and new jobs[6].
- What is the highest paying state for plant technicians?
- Florida had the highest median at $128,830, based on only 60 jobs, followed by Wyoming at $107,810 and Texas at $102,750[13].
Facts and sources
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Chemical Plant and System Operators in the US was $78,120 per year and $37.56 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections: employment of Chemical Plant and System Operators is projected to decline 5.2% from 2025 to 2035, from about 16,700 to 15,900 jobs (a change of -900). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Chemical Plant and System Operators: 10th percentile $48,400, 25th percentile $60,330, 75th percentile $98,660, 90th percentile $111,930. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections: about 1,300 openings for Chemical Plant and System Operators are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Chemical Plant and System Operators: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Chemical Plant and System Operators was $79,970 per year and $38.45 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Chemical Plant and System Operators: 10th percentile $23.27, 25th percentile $29.01, 75th percentile $47.44, 90th percentile $53.81. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 16,610 people were employed as Chemical Plant and System Operators in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage for Chemical Plant and System Operators in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Chemical Plant and System Operators jobs: Louisiana 3,400; Texas 2,360; California 780; Pennsylvania 770; Virginia 760. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Chemical Plant and System Operators (areas with at least 100 jobs): San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $111,900; Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $106,020; Baton Rouge, LA $104,410; Lake Charles, LA $102,310; Mobile, AL $96,210; New Orleans-Metairie, LA $92,260; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $90,470; Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $87,210. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Chemical Plant and System Operators jobs: Baton Rouge, LA 1,720 (median $104,410); Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 1,420 (median $106,020); Lake Charles, LA 740 (median $102,310); New Orleans-Metairie, LA 460 (median $92,260); Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 410 (median $82,170); Richmond, VA 340 (median $77,930). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- O*NET 51-8091.00: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET description of Chemical Plant and System Operators. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET task list for Chemical Plant and System Operators. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET 51-8091.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Chemical Operator, Chemical Plant Operations Technician (Chemical Plan Operations Tech), Chemical Plant Production Operator, Chemical Process Control Operator, Plant Technician (Plant Tech), Process Control Operator, Process Development Associate, Process Operator. O*NET OnLine
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Chemical Plant and System Operators: 2.4% of workers leave the labor force each year and 6% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
- Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.