Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

51-8092 Gas Plant Operators

Distribute or process gas for utility companies and others by controlling compressors to maintain specified pressures on main pipelines.


National estimates for Gas Plant Operators
Industry profile for Gas Plant Operators
Geographic profile for Gas Plant Operators

National estimates for Gas Plant Operators:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Gas Plant Operators:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
14,990 4.8 % $ 35.24 $ 73,290 1.1 %

Percentile wage estimates for Gas Plant Operators:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 21.39 $ 27.34 $ 35.08 $ 42.12 $ 50.85
Annual Wage (2) $ 44,490 $ 56,870 $ 72,970 $ 87,610 $ 105,770


Industry profile for Gas Plant Operators:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Gas Plant Operators are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Gas Plant Operators, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Gas Plant Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas 5,220 16.89 $ 34.87 $ 72,540
Natural Gas Distribution 4,840 4.49 $ 38.02 $ 79,090
Oil and Gas Extraction 1,200 0.97 $ 34.66 $ 72,090
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 1,140 0.02 $ 26.76 $ 55,660
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 530 0.15 $ 37.12 $ 77,220

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Gas Plant Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas 5,220 16.89 $ 34.87 $ 72,540
Natural Gas Distribution 4,840 4.49 $ 38.02 $ 79,090
Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil 180 1.45 $ 35.78 $ 74,420
Oil and Gas Extraction 1,200 0.97 $ 34.66 $ 72,090
Other Pipeline Transportation 80 0.95 $ 35.55 $ 73,950

Top paying industries for Gas Plant Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 160 0.15 $ 43.32 $ 90,110
Natural Gas Distribution 4,840 4.49 $ 38.02 $ 79,090
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 530 0.15 $ 37.12 $ 77,220
Management of Companies and Enterprises 180 0.01 $ 36.12 $ 75,130
Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil 180 1.45 $ 35.78 $ 74,420


Geographic profile for Gas Plant Operators:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Gas Plant Operators are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Gas Plant Operators, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in Gas Plant Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 3,750 0.31 2.88 $ 34.02 $ 70,760
California 920 0.06 0.52 $ 50.45 $ 104,950
Pennsylvania 780 0.14 1.32 $ 33.87 $ 70,440
Louisiana 730 0.40 3.75 $ 33.76 $ 70,210
Illinois 560 0.10 0.93 $ 29.75 $ 61,880




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Gas Plant Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Wyoming 370 1.43 13.24 $ 37.86 $ 78,740
North Dakota 540 1.35 12.56 (8) (8)
West Virginia 270 0.42 3.92 $ 34.75 $ 72,290
Louisiana 730 0.40 3.75 $ 33.76 $ 70,210
New Mexico 310 0.39 3.65 $ 29.94 $ 62,280




Top paying states for Gas Plant Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 920 0.06 0.52 $ 50.45 $ 104,950
New York 340 0.04 0.36 $ 44.67 $ 92,910
New Jersey 370 0.10 0.90 $ 41.97 $ 87,290
Washington 120 0.04 0.35 $ 41.16 $ 85,620
Oregon (8) (8) (8) $ 38.81 $ 80,730





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Gas Plant Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 2,390 0.81 7.47 $ 34.49 $ 71,740
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 480 0.05 0.50 $ 44.31 $ 92,160
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 400 0.11 1.03 $ 34.51 $ 71,780
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 380 0.09 0.81 $ 28.47 $ 59,220
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 330 0.06 0.52 $ 46.81 $ 97,370
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 270 0.10 0.92 $ 36.18 $ 75,260
Pittsburgh, PA 220 0.21 1.95 $ 33.11 $ 68,870
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 160 0.09 0.82 $ 37.29 $ 77,560
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 140 0.10 0.91 $ 37.13 $ 77,230
Baton Rouge, LA 130 0.36 3.37 $ 25.99 $ 54,050




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Gas Plant Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 2,390 0.81 7.47 $ 34.49 $ 71,740
Williamsport, PA 30 0.74 6.84 $ 36.59 $ 76,110
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH 50 0.41 3.77 $ 34.35 $ 71,450
Baton Rouge, LA 130 0.36 3.37 $ 25.99 $ 54,050
Tulsa, OK 130 0.30 2.78 $ 34.42 $ 71,600
Columbia, SC 100 0.27 2.52 $ 29.00 $ 60,320
Anchorage, AK 40 0.24 2.26 $ 35.63 $ 74,100
Pittsburgh, PA 220 0.21 1.95 $ 33.11 $ 68,870
Corpus Christi, TX 40 0.20 1.84 $ 33.69 $ 70,080
Richmond, VA 110 0.18 1.69 $ 27.13 $ 56,420




Top paying metropolitan areas for Gas Plant Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 70 0.05 0.49 $ 47.23 $ 98,230
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 330 0.06 0.52 $ 46.81 $ 97,370
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 480 0.05 0.50 $ 44.31 $ 92,160
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 80 0.04 0.40 $ 44.27 $ 92,090
Kansas City, MO-KS (8) (8) (8) $ 41.72 $ 86,770
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 100 0.04 0.36 $ 38.74 $ 80,580
New Orleans-Metairie, LA (8) (8) (8) $ 38.58 $ 80,240
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 160 0.09 0.82 $ 37.29 $ 77,560
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 140 0.10 0.91 $ 37.13 $ 77,230
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 80 0.04 0.41 $ 36.71 $ 76,350

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Gas Plant Operators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 530 4.62 42.81 (8) (8)
Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 280 2.95 27.36 $ 38.27 $ 79,590
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 250 1.63 15.12 $ 30.92 $ 64,320
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 210 0.54 5.05 $ 34.63 $ 72,020
Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 190 1.38 12.76 $ 35.60 $ 74,040

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Gas Plant Operators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 530 4.62 42.81 (8) (8)
Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 280 2.95 27.36 $ 38.27 $ 79,590
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 250 1.63 15.12 $ 30.92 $ 64,320
Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 190 1.38 12.76 $ 35.60 $ 74,040
Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 60 0.74 6.90 $ 37.72 $ 78,450

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Gas Plant Operators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 280 2.95 27.36 $ 38.27 $ 79,590
Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 60 0.74 6.90 $ 37.72 $ 78,450
Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 50 0.54 4.98 $ 36.43 $ 75,780
South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $ 35.74 $ 74,340
Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 190 1.38 12.76 $ 35.60 $ 74,040


About May 2020 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021