Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 51-8091

Chemical Plant and System Operators

O*NET task statements lead this Chemical Plant and System Operators card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers, First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers, Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Chemical Plant and System Operators: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($123K) , Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers ($63K) , First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers ($74K) , Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers ($68K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Chemical Plant and System Operators publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-8091 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Monitor recording instruments, flowmeters, panel lights, or other indicators and listen for warning signals to verify conformity of proce…
  2. 2. Regulate or shut down equipment during emergency situations, as directed by supervisory personnel
  3. 3. Control or operate chemical processes or systems of machines, using panelboards, control boards, or semi-automatic equipment
  4. 4. Move control settings to make necessary adjustments on equipment units affecting speeds of chemical reactions, quality, or yields
  5. 5. Inspect operating units, such as towers, soap-spray storage tanks, scrubbers, collectors, or driers to ensure that all are functioning an…
  6. 6. Draw samples of products and conduct quality control tests to monitor processing and to ensure that standards are met
  7. 7. Record operating data, such as process conditions, test results, or instrument readings
  8. 8. Patrol work areas to ensure that solutions in tanks or troughs are not in danger of overflowing
  9. 9. Turn valves to regulate flow of products or byproducts through agitator tanks, storage drums, or neutralizer tanks
  10. 10. Interpret chemical reactions visible through sight glasses or on television monitors and review laboratory test reports for process adjus…
  11. 11. Confer with technical and supervisory personnel to report or resolve conditions affecting safety, efficiency, or product quality
  12. 12. Start pumps to wash and rinse reactor vessels, to exhaust gases or vapors, to regulate the flow of oil, steam, air, or perfume to towers…

O*NET skills and knowledge for Chemical Plant and System Operators

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-8091 - entity-keyed; sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 4.1
  2. 2. Operation and Control 4.0
  3. 3. Monitoring 3.6
  4. 4. Quality Control Analysis 3.6
  5. 5. Critical Thinking 3.5
  6. 6. Active Listening 3.4
  7. 7. Reading Comprehension 3.3
  8. 8. Active Learning 3.3

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Production and Processing 3.7
  2. 2. Chemistry 3.7
  3. 3. Mechanical 3.6
  4. 4. English Language 3.5
  5. 5. Public Safety and Security 3.3
  6. 6. Customer and Personal Service 3.1
National median after O*NET task lead
$78,120
/year · 12 published task lines above
Lead task: Monitor recording instruments, flowmeters, panel lights, or other indicators and listen for warning signals to verify conformity of proce…
$78K
National median
↓ -6%
Growth 2024-2034
1,600
Annual openings
16,610
Estimated US jobs
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
Highest-pay peer · $123K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Chemical Plant and System Operators

1. Alabama $91,610
2. Texas $102,750
3. California $87,550
4. Wyoming $107,810
5. Kentucky $97,550
6. Maryland $95,150
7. Louisiana $100,060
8. Arkansas $91,610
9. Oregon $87,110
10. Florida $128,830

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,450
  2. 2. Nuclear Power Reactor Operators $122,890
  3. 3. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers $68,120
  4. 4. Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers $62,750
  5. 5. Tool and Die Makers $64,050
  6. 6. Gas Plant Operators $87,820

O*NET publishes 12 leading task statements for Chemical Plant and System Operators (SOC 51-8091). The national OEWS median is $78,120 inside Production Occupations. Same-group neighbors: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers, First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers, Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers. Lead published task: Monitor recording instruments, flowmeters, panel lights, or other indicators and listen for warning signals to verify conformity of proce….

Employment Projections expect -6% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,600 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Alabama at $91,610. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators at $122,890. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

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Full Salary Details Browse All Cards

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034.

Dive into Chemical Plant and System Operators in more depth or explore nearby career data.

Full Salary Details

State, metro, and percentile breakdown

Jobs in Alabama

Top-paying state for this role

Jobs in Texas

Second-highest state pay

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

Highest-pay peer · $123K

Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers

Lower-pay peer · $63K

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Frequently Asked Questions

What do chemical plant and system operators do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Chemical Plant and System Operators. Leading ones include: Monitor recording instruments, flowmeters, panel lights, or other indicators and listen for warning signals to verify conformity of proce…; Regulate or shut down equipment during emergency situations, as directed by supervisory personnel; Control or operate chemical processes or systems of machines, using panelboards, control boards, or semi-automatic equipment; Move control settings to make necessary adjustments on equipment units affecting speeds of chemical reactions, quality, or yields. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for chemical plant and system operators? ▼
For SOC 51-8091, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (4.1), Operation and Control (4.0), Monitoring (3.6), Quality Control Analysis (3.6). Knowledge areas emphasize Production and Processing, Chemistry, Mechanical. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How does Chemical Plant and System Operators sit next to other Production Occupations titles? ▼
On this card, neighboring same-major-group titles include Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers, First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers, Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers. Among those peers, Nuclear Power Reactor Operators holds the highest published national median ($122,890). Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers sits lower at $62,750. Peer titles are hash-ordered per card so adjacent SOC pages do not share an identical ladder.
What is the median salary for Chemical Plant and System Operators? ▼
The median salary for Chemical Plant and System Operators is $78,120 per year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 OEWS data). This means half of workers in this occupation earn more and half earn less. The full range is $48,400 (10th percentile) to $111,930 (90th percentile). For context beside Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($122,890), this role's median is the OEWS national figure above.
Is Chemical Plant and System Operators a growing occupation? ▼
The BLS projects -6% employment change for Chemical Plant and System Operators from 2024 to 2034. There are approximately 1,600 projected annual openings. This is declining relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%.
What education do you need to become a chemical plant and system operators? ▼
BLS assigns Chemical Plant and System Operators to High school diploma or equivalent for typical education needed for entry. These occupation-level categories are not requirements for every employer or worker.
Which states pay chemical plant and system operators the most? ▼
The highest published state medians in this ranking for Chemical Plant and System Operators are Alabama ($91,610), Texas ($102,750), California ($87,550). The table does not identify why state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

All federal data sources used on this page
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - wage estimates by area + occupation. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - occupation task statements (importance-ranked). onetcenter.org
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) - quarterly employment and wage totals by industry. bls.gov/cew
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for metro/state aggregates. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics (CES) - monthly nonfarm payroll baselines. bls.gov/ces
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context. irs.gov/statistics
  • BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) - unemployment context for labor-market comparisons. bls.gov/lau