Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders in the New York-Newark-Jersey City Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders pay in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ at a median of $54,790 per year ($26.34/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $58,040, the metro estimate is 6% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 8,060 chemical equipment operators and tenders are employed across the New York-Newark-Jersey City MSA in SOC 51-9011.

The New York-Newark-Jersey City pay distribution spans from $35,980 at the 10th percentile to $79,260 at the 90th, a 2.2× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $46,120 and the 75th at $66,530, so half of New York-Newark-Jersey City-based chemical equipment operators and tenders earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide NY estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.