occupation · 51-9011 · detailed
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders — wages and employment
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders earned a median annual wage of $57,090 in the United States in May 2024, with 127,410 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders earned a median annual wage of $57,090 in the United States in May 2024, with 127,410 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $37,270 or less, the best-paid tenth $88,460 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $51,720 to $57,090, +10.4 %. The best-paying state is Wyoming at $85,480; the lowest Puerto Rico at $37,430. Among metropolitan areas, Baton Rouge, LA pays the highest median, $98,790. 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 | 127,410 | $57,090 | $59,800 | $37,270 | $45,660 | $71,400 | $88,460 | $27.45 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 120,260 | $51,720 | $57,350 | $36,200 | $43,580 | $66,810 | $84,310 | $24.86 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $85,480 | 310 |
| Louisiana | $77,250 | 7,920 |
| Alabama | $72,900 | 3,100 |
| Washington | $65,240 | 1,800 |
| Illinois | $64,270 | 3,490 |
| West Virginia | $63,980 | 1,400 |
| Kentucky | $63,380 | 3,580 |
| Rhode Island | $61,260 | 300 |
| Maryland | $61,190 | 1,150 |
| Delaware | $61,070 | 1,060 |
| Texas | $59,930 | 16,190 |
| Tennessee | $59,090 | 4,170 |
| Indiana | $58,900 | 5,450 |
| Ohio | $58,240 | 7,980 |
| Virginia | $57,250 | 1,670 |
| California | $57,150 | 5,830 |
| Mississippi | $57,020 | 950 |
| South Carolina | $56,580 | 3,710 |
| Oregon | $55,710 | 1,040 |
| Connecticut | $55,400 | 760 |
| Iowa | $55,030 | 2,080 |
| Hawaii | $54,740 | 40 |
| Arkansas | $54,410 | 1,100 |
| New Hampshire | $53,890 | 90 |
| North Carolina | $53,380 | 2,560 |
| New York | $52,380 | 4,550 |
| Maine | $52,150 | 220 |
| New Mexico | $51,680 | 150 |
| Colorado | $50,810 | 760 |
| Missouri | $50,420 | 2,590 |
| Idaho | $50,330 | 210 |
| Minnesota | $50,320 | 1,150 |
| Pennsylvania | $50,170 | 5,420 |
| New Jersey | $49,700 | 8,710 |
| Nebraska | $49,510 | 1,750 |
| Oklahoma | $49,480 | 930 |
| Michigan | $49,450 | 4,910 |
| Massachusetts | $49,420 | 3,200 |
| Kansas | $49,290 | 1,800 |
| Wisconsin | $49,150 | 2,730 |
| Vermont | $48,610 | — |
| Georgia | $47,380 | 4,070 |
| South Dakota | $47,060 | 180 |
| Florida | $46,790 | 3,150 |
| Arizona | $46,110 | 1,310 |
| Nevada | $45,560 | 70 |
| Utah | $39,110 | 1,500 |
| Puerto Rico | $37,430 | 2,060 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | $98,790 | 2,840 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $98,410 | 1,140 |
| Mobile, AL | $82,090 | 710 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $81,540 | 6,930 |
| Midland, MI | $81,270 | 430 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $80,890 | 170 |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | $79,470 | 280 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $78,930 | 1,210 |
| Decatur, AL | $77,730 | 720 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $77,310 | 180 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $74,450 | 130 |
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | $74,290 | 40 |
| Lake Charles, LA | $71,740 | 2,050 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $70,710 | 650 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $68,700 | 400 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $68,360 | 980 |
| Grand Junction, CO | $68,060 | 30 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $67,210 | 70 |
| Joplin, MO-KS | $65,590 | 120 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $65,240 | 280 |
Machine access — free, no API key
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