National Salary Info » Miscellaneous Plant and System Operators

Highest Paying Industries for Miscellaneous Plant and System Operators

The top 100 highest paying industries for miscellaneous plant and system operators (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $68,240, electric power generation, transmission and distribution is the highest paying industry for miscellaneous plant and system operators. It is followed by research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences industry (average annual salary $66,940). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of miscellaneous plant and system operators in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Miscellaneous Plant and System Operators

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$68,240	$51,130	1,970
2	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$66,940	$37,170	260
3	Scientific Research and Development Services	$66,940	$37,170	260
4	Utilities	$66,520	$42,440	9,700
5	Natural Gas Distribution	$66,460	$41,530	7,580
6	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$66,370	$40,470	21,850
7	Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil	$65,990	$43,040	1,790
8	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$65,220	$31,030	n/a
9	Pipeline Transportation	$64,290	$43,150	10,270
10	Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas	$64,210	$42,520	5,960
11	Transportation and Warehousing	$63,930	$42,290	10,740
12	Other Pipeline Transportation	$63,140	$45,230	2,510
13	Support Activities for Transportation	$62,790	$38,660	80
14	Repair and Maintenance	$62,780	$36,470	n/a
15	Oil and Gas Extraction	$60,970	$40,430	n/a
16	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$60,830	$32,710	n/a
17	Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing	$60,040	$38,030	7,180
18	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$59,690	$42,310	340
19	Plastics Product Manufacturing	$59,570	$37,200	70
20	Basic Chemical Manufacturing	$59,530	$35,330	17,090
21	Manufacturing	$59,480	$35,720	60,780
22	Federal government, including USPS	$58,040	$45,700	2,820
23	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$58,040	$45,700	2,820
24	Mining	$57,340	$34,180	13,950
25	Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing	$56,800	$36,210	80
26	Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills	$56,740	$42,090	630
27	Paper Manufacturing	$56,530	$41,500	640
28	Chemical Manufacturing	$56,410	$34,690	35,680
29	Waste Treatment and Disposal	$56,310	$39,240	940
30	Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing	$56,220	$29,720	n/a
31	Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers	$56,060	$37,330	2,620
32	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$55,950	$32,780	640
33	Waste Management and Remediation Services	$55,920	$38,410	970
34	Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods	$55,640	$35,880	3,190
35	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$55,530	$38,560	4,380
36	Federal, State, and Local Government	$55,530	$38,560	4,380
37	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$55,290	$37,440	4,480
38	Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers	$54,960	$39,280	70
39	Metal Ore Mining	$54,870	$42,680	360
40	Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers	$54,610	$34,480	460
41	Wholesale Trade	$54,210	$34,830	3,570
42	Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing	$54,060	$37,510	2,200
43	Utility System Construction	$54,030	$36,230	200
44	Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing	$53,840	$30,500	600
45	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	$53,790	$35,330	100
46	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$53,750	$37,610	100
47	Facilities Support Services	$53,500	$39,000	70
48	Wood Product Manufacturing	$53,500	$27,320	n/a
49	Hospitals - Privately owned	$53,420	$38,170	110
50	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$53,350	$36,580	110
51	Health Care and Social Assistance	$53,140	$37,090	130
52	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$53,030	$37,110	120
53	Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing	$52,700	$31,560	290
54	Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$52,480	$33,710	120
55	Mining (except Oil and Gas)	$52,330	$33,670	n/a
56	Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing	$52,000	$31,860	4,390
57	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$51,670	$30,700	1,790
58	Support Activities for Mining	$51,410	$30,070	4,970
59	Specialized Freight Trucking	$51,370	$31,630	130
60	Warehousing and Storage	$50,910	$38,870	260
61	Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	$50,720	$29,020	550
62	Machinery Manufacturing	$50,280	$30,630	n/a
63	Truck Transportation	$50,110	$31,680	130
64	Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing	$48,700	$39,330	110
65	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$48,530	$31,880	3,930
66	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$48,350	$28,570	1,560
67	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$48,320	$28,790	1,520
68	Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying	$48,210	$28,050	290
69	Construction	$47,560	$29,700	770
70	Coal Mining	$47,120	$39,710	n/a
71	Cement and Concrete Product Manufacturing	$46,790	$28,840	740
72	Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction	$46,760	$26,540	360
73	Administrative and Support Services	$46,120	$24,620	820
74	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$44,570	$30,910	240
75	Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	$44,390	$30,180	1,140
76	Lumber and Other Construction Materials Merchant Wholesalers	$44,130	$34,150	n/a
77	Temporary Help Services	$43,230	$22,820	540
78	Employment Services	$42,700	$22,620	620
79	Other Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	$42,510	$31,860	270
80	Primary Metal Manufacturing	$41,940	$32,720	230
81	Water, Sewage and Other Systems	$41,790	$26,570	150
82	Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods	$41,750	$31,300	320
83	Engineering Services	$41,290	$30,130	170
84	Specialty Trade Contractors	$39,630	$27,880	130
85	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$39,460	$32,920	40
86	Direct Selling Establishments	$39,320	$28,020	150
87	Nonstore Retailers	$39,320	$28,020	150
88	Retail Trade	$39,320	$28,020	150
89	Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$37,610	$30,080	n/a
90	Other Specialty Trade Contractors	$37,110	$26,400	100
91	State government, including schools and hospitals	$36,960	$27,250	110
92	Educational Services	$36,550	$26,160	120
93	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$36,410	$26,440	100
94	Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing	$36,330	$31,980	n/a
95	Grain and Oilseed Milling	$36,320	$26,710	80
96	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$34,740	$25,840	70
97	Educational Services - State government owned	$34,740	$25,840	70