occupation · 51-8092 · detailed
Gas Plant Operators — wages and employment
Gas Plant Operators earned a median annual wage of $83,400 in the United States in May 2024, with 15,910 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Gas Plant Operators earned a median annual wage of $83,400 in the United States in May 2024, with 15,910 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $59,040 or less, the best-paid tenth $109,350 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $82,560 to $83,400, +1.0 %. The best-paying state is California at $124,980; the lowest Kentucky at $62,920. Among metropolitan areas, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA pays the highest median, $126,640. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 15,910 | $83,400 | $85,470 | $59,040 | $73,150 | $100,000 | $109,350 | $40.10 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 15,930 | $82,560 | $83,020 | $53,330 | $66,250 | $99,180 | $108,340 | $39.69 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $124,980 | 630 |
| Connecticut | $107,400 | 90 |
| Oregon | $106,210 | 80 |
| Louisiana | $105,030 | 1,120 |
| New Jersey | $104,960 | 230 |
| Maryland | $104,340 | 140 |
| Massachusetts | $100,570 | 480 |
| Michigan | $98,320 | 480 |
| South Dakota | $98,170 | 80 |
| Illinois | $95,950 | 810 |
| Utah | $95,690 | 160 |
| Arizona | $94,900 | — |
| New Mexico | $94,050 | 250 |
| North Dakota | $93,910 | 160 |
| Colorado | $92,420 | 480 |
| New York | $91,100 | 220 |
| Georgia | $90,610 | 120 |
| Iowa | $89,070 | 400 |
| Wisconsin | $87,170 | 200 |
| Washington | $85,870 | 150 |
| Missouri | $84,980 | 310 |
| New Hampshire | $84,800 | 30 |
| Minnesota | $84,760 | 110 |
| Indiana | $83,420 | 180 |
| Texas | $82,760 | 1,590 |
| Nebraska | $82,290 | 190 |
| Arkansas | $81,310 | 260 |
| South Carolina | $81,000 | 270 |
| Wyoming | $80,760 | 690 |
| West Virginia | $79,710 | 410 |
| Mississippi | $79,530 | 450 |
| Virginia | $78,780 | — |
| Kansas | $78,110 | 380 |
| Montana | $77,630 | — |
| Idaho | $76,800 | 60 |
| Oklahoma | $76,570 | 980 |
| Pennsylvania | $76,070 | 780 |
| North Carolina | $75,140 | 270 |
| Ohio | $74,500 | 660 |
| Alabama | $73,270 | 250 |
| Florida | $71,490 | 170 |
| Tennessee | $64,670 | 340 |
| Kentucky | $62,920 | 290 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $126,640 | 70 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $124,100 | 190 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $107,810 | 240 |
| Lake Charles, LA | $105,030 | 530 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $104,810 | 630 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $104,590 | 210 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $104,370 | 240 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $96,900 | 50 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | $95,590 | 30 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $95,370 | 40 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $94,990 | 90 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $94,150 | 120 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $93,850 | 50 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $92,420 | 300 |
| Greeley, CO | $90,370 | 30 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $88,330 | 80 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $87,170 | 90 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $86,530 | 170 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $85,600 | 30 |
| Charleston, WV | $85,580 | 90 |
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