BLS metro-level wage data places Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders pay in Longview-Kelso, WA at a median of $76,390 per year ($36.72/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $58,040, Longview-Kelso pays +32% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 110 chemical equipment operators and tenderss are employed across the Longview-Kelso MSA in SOC 51-9011.

The Longview-Kelso pay distribution spans from $48,770 at the 10th percentile to $90,110 at the 90th — a 1.8× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $59,980 and the 75th at $78,880, so half of Longview-Kelso-based chemical equipment operators and tenderss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Longview-Kelso, WA covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide WA data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.