National Salary Info » Chemical Plant and System Operators

Highest Paying Industries for Chemical Plant and System Operators

The top 36 highest paying industries for chemical 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 $64,230, petroleum and coal products manufacturing is the highest paying industry for chemical plant and system operators. It is followed by research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences industry (average annual salary $63,790). 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 chemical plant and system operators in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 36 Highest Paying Industries for Chemical Plant and System Operators

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$64,230	$35,970	1,850
2	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$63,790	$33,680	160
3	Scientific Research and Development Services	$63,790	$33,680	160
4	Plastics Product Manufacturing	$60,710	$40,970	60
5	Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing	$60,710	$40,970	60
6	Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing	$59,970	$38,100	7,090
7	Basic Chemical Manufacturing	$58,720	$34,890	14,900
8	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$56,980	$44,910	30
9	Federal, State, and Local Government	$56,980	$44,910	30
10	Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills	$56,550	$42,000	510
11	Paper Manufacturing	$56,310	$41,240	520
12	Manufacturing	$56,120	$34,570	36,260
13	Chemical Manufacturing	$55,990	$34,530	33,290
14	Machinery Manufacturing	$54,970	$36,010	n/a
15	Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing	$54,300	$38,650	2,170
16	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$54,280	$41,080	30
17	Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing	$53,840	$30,500	600
18	Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing	$52,490	$31,160	280
19	Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing	$52,000	$31,860	4,390
20	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$50,960	$29,220	250
21	Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods	$50,040	$30,820	310
22	Wholesale Trade	$50,040	$30,820	310
23	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$48,720	$31,950	3,850
24	Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers	$48,670	$30,340	280
25	Mining	$48,160	$39,400	140
26	Mining (except Oil and Gas)	$45,360	$36,300	80
27	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$45,060	$26,250	330
28	Temporary Help Services	$44,940	$25,790	260
29	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$44,910	$28,100	40
30	Employment Services	$44,700	$26,150	320
31	Administrative and Support Services	$44,700	$26,150	320
32	Other Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	$41,580	$32,100	n/a
33	Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	$41,580	$32,100	n/a
34	Utilities	$39,190	$32,810	30
35	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$36,980	$27,070	n/a
36	Primary Metal Manufacturing	$35,850	$32,090	n/a