Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-8092

Gas Plant Operators

Median pay sits 29% above the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators, Chemical Plant and System Operators, Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Gas Plant Operators: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($123K) , Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators ($60K) , Chemical Plant and System Operators ($78K) , Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers ($97K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Gas Plant Operators publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-8092 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Monitor equipment functioning, observe temperature, level, and flow gauges, and perform regular unit checks to ensure that all equipment…
  2. 2. Distribute or process gas for utility companies or industrial plants, using panel boards, control boards, and semi-automatic equipment
  3. 3. Control operation of compressors, scrubbers, evaporators, and refrigeration equipment to liquefy, compress, or regasify natural gas
  4. 4. Control equipment to regulate flow and pressure of gas to feedlines of boilers, furnaces, and related steam-generating or heating equipment
  5. 5. Record, review, and compile operations records, test results, and gauge readings such as temperatures, pressures, concentrations, and flows
  6. 6. Determine causes of abnormal pressure variances, and make corrective recommendations, such as installation of pipes to relieve overloading
  7. 7. Adjust temperature, pressure, vacuum, level, flow rate, or transfer of gas to maintain processes at required levels or to correct problems
  8. 8. Collaborate with other operators to solve unit problems
  9. 9. Monitor transportation and storage of flammable and other potentially dangerous products to ensure that safety guidelines are followed
  10. 10. Start and shut down plant equipment
  11. 11. Read logsheets to determine product demand and disposition, or to detect malfunctions
  12. 12. Control fractioning columns, compressors, purifying towers, heat exchangers, and related equipment to extract nitrogen and oxygen from air

O*NET skills and knowledge for Gas Plant Operators

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-8092 - entity-keyed; sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 4.1
  2. 2. Operation and Control 3.8
  3. 3. Monitoring 3.6
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 3.5
  5. 5. Quality Control Analysis 3.3
  6. 6. Judgment and Decision Making 3.3
  7. 7. Reading Comprehension 3.1
  8. 8. Active Listening 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Public Safety and Security 3.9
  2. 2. Mechanical 3.8
  3. 3. English Language 3.6
  4. 4. Computers and Electronics 3.4
  5. 5. Mathematics 3.2
  6. 6. Engineering and Technology 3.1
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
+29%
vs mid peer median $68,120
This role $87,820/yr
$88K
National median
↓ -9%
Growth 2024-2034
1,300
Annual openings
18,030
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 Gas Plant Operators

1. Arizona $104,600
2. Arkansas $100,870
3. Louisiana $108,350
4. Connecticut $109,060
5. Maryland $102,950
6. South Dakota $101,450
7. Massachusetts $103,830
8. New Jersey $110,900
9. California $130,220
10. Oregon $109,760

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120
  2. 2. Nuclear Power Reactor Operators $122,890
  3. 3. Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers $96,710
  4. 4. Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers $65,380
  5. 5. Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters $62,620
  6. 6. Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators $60,020

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Gas Plant Operators sits 29% above the mid peer median ($68,120). Its own median is $87,820.

Employment Projections expect -9% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,300 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: Arizona at $104,600. 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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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 Gas Plant Operators in more depth or explore nearby career data.

Full Salary Details

State, metro, and percentile breakdown

Jobs in Arizona

Top-paying state for this role

Jobs in Arkansas

Second-highest state pay

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

Highest-pay peer · $123K

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators

Lower-pay peer · $60K

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Peer-comparison next reads

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Against another occupation

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

What do gas plant operators do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Gas Plant Operators. Leading ones include: Monitor equipment functioning, observe temperature, level, and flow gauges, and perform regular unit checks to ensure that all equipment…; Distribute or process gas for utility companies or industrial plants, using panel boards, control boards, and semi-automatic equipment; Control operation of compressors, scrubbers, evaporators, and refrigeration equipment to liquefy, compress, or regasify natural gas; Control equipment to regulate flow and pressure of gas to feedlines of boilers, furnaces, and related steam-generating or heating equipment. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for gas plant operators? ▼
For SOC 51-8092, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (4.1), Operation and Control (3.8), Monitoring (3.6), Critical Thinking (3.5). Knowledge areas emphasize Public Safety and Security, Mechanical, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How does Gas Plant Operators sit next to other Production Occupations titles? ▼
On this card, neighboring same-major-group titles include Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators, Chemical Plant and System Operators, Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers. Among those peers, Nuclear Power Reactor Operators holds the highest published national median ($122,890). Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators sits lower at $60,020. Peer titles are hash-ordered per card so adjacent SOC pages do not share an identical ladder.
What is the median salary for Gas Plant Operators? ▼
The median salary for Gas Plant Operators is $87,820 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 $61,350 (10th percentile) to $115,520 (90th percentile). For context beside Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($122,890), this role's median is the OEWS national figure above.
Is Gas Plant Operators a growing occupation? ▼
The BLS projects -9% employment change for Gas Plant Operators from 2024 to 2034. There are approximately 1,300 projected annual openings. This is declining relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%.
What education do you need to become a gas plant operators? ▼
BLS assigns Gas Plant 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 gas plant operators the most? ▼
The highest published state medians in this ranking for Gas Plant Operators are Arizona ($104,600), Arkansas ($100,870), Louisiana ($108,350). 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