Plant and System Operators, All Other vs Chemical Plant and System Operators: Salary, Job Outlook & Education | Career Matchup
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Plant and System Operators, All Other vs Chemical Plant and System Operators

Compare the evidence side by side. Career Matchup shows the source data without declaring an overall winner.

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01 · Compensation

Pay and employment

Median annual wage

2025

Plant and System Operators, All Other$62,470
80% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-8099

Chemical Plant and System Operators$78,120
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-8091

Mean annual wage

2025

Plant and System Operators, All Other$65,700
82% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-8099

Chemical Plant and System Operators$79,970
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-8091

Hourly median wage

2025

Plant and System Operators, All Other$30.03
80% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-8099

Chemical Plant and System Operators$37.56
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-8091

Hourly mean wage

2025

Plant and System Operators, All Other$31.59
82% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-8099

Chemical Plant and System Operators$38.45
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-8091

10th percentile annual wage

2025

Plant and System Operators, All Other$40,700
84% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-8099

Chemical Plant and System Operators$48,400
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-8091

25th percentile annual wage

2025

Plant and System Operators, All Other$48,900
81% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-8099

Chemical Plant and System Operators$60,330
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-8091

75th percentile annual wage

2025

Plant and System Operators, All Other$78,480
80% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-8099

Chemical Plant and System Operators$98,660
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-8091

90th percentile annual wage

2025

Plant and System Operators, All Other$94,560
84% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-8099

Chemical Plant and System Operators$111,930
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-8091

National employment

2025

Plant and System Operators, All Other14,080
85% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-8099

Chemical Plant and System Operators16,610
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 51-8091

02 · Outlook

Employment outlook

Bars compare the same metric across the two careers. They are not an overall score.

Projected employment change

2025-2035

Plant and System Operators, All Other2.3%
44% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 51-8099

Chemical Plant and System Operators-5.2%
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 51-8091

Average annual openings

2025-2035

Plant and System Operators, All Other1.2k
92% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 51-8099

Chemical Plant and System Operators1.3k
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 51-8091

03 · Preparation

Education and training

Typical entry-level education

2025-2035

Plant and System Operators, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 51-8099

Chemical Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 51-8091

Related work experience

2025-2035

Plant and System Operators, All OtherNot available

Value missing or suppressed in source.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 51-8099

Chemical Plant and System OperatorsNot available

Value missing or suppressed in source.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 51-8091

On-the-job training

2025-2035

Plant and System Operators, All OtherModerate-term on-the-job training

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 51-8099

Chemical Plant and System OperatorsModerate-term on-the-job training

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 51-8091

04 · Context and fit

Work context

Only compatible O*NET scales are compared together. Relative bars preserve the source scale interpretation.

Contact with others

Plant and System Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Chemical Plant and System Operators4.3 raw · CX scale
82% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-8091.00

Time pressure

Plant and System Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Chemical Plant and System Operators4.6 raw · CX scale
89% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-8091.00

Spend time standing

Plant and System Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Chemical Plant and System Operators3.1 raw · CX scale
52% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-8091.00

Exposed to contaminants

Plant and System Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Chemical Plant and System Operators4.1 raw · CX scale
78% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-8091.00

Exposed to disease or infections

Plant and System Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Chemical Plant and System Operators1.2 raw · CX scale
5% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-8091.00

Exposed to hazardous equipment

Plant and System Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Chemical Plant and System Operators3.5 raw · CX scale
61% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-8091.00

04 · Context and fit

Skills

Only compatible O*NET scales are compared together. Relative bars preserve the source scale interpretation.

Monitoring

Plant and System Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Chemical Plant and System Operators3.8 raw · LV scale
54% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-8091.00

Active listening

Plant and System Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Chemical Plant and System Operators3.5 raw · LV scale
50% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-8091.00

Critical thinking

Plant and System Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Chemical Plant and System Operators3.5 raw · LV scale
50% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-8091.00

Reading comprehension

Plant and System Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Chemical Plant and System Operators3.4 raw · LV scale
48% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-8091.00

Active learning

Plant and System Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Chemical Plant and System Operators3 raw · LV scale
43% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-8091.00

Speaking

Plant and System Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Chemical Plant and System Operators3 raw · LV scale
43% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-8091.00

Writing

Plant and System Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Chemical Plant and System Operators3 raw · LV scale
43% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-8091.00

Learning strategies

Plant and System Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Chemical Plant and System Operators2.8 raw · LV scale
39% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-8091.00

04 · Context and fit

Work styles

Only compatible O*NET scales are compared together. Relative bars preserve the source scale interpretation.

Dependability

Plant and System Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Chemical Plant and System Operators2.7 raw · WI scale
94% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-8091.00

Attention to detail

Plant and System Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Chemical Plant and System Operators2.6 raw · WI scale
93% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-8091.00

Stress tolerance

Plant and System Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Chemical Plant and System Operators2.2 raw · WI scale
86% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-8091.00

Cooperation

Plant and System Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Chemical Plant and System Operators1 raw · WI scale
67% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 51-8091.00

Explore your next step

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Read the full profile, preparation, skills and source details.

Chemical Plant and System Operators

Read the full profile, preparation, skills and source details.

  • Use the career comparison checklist

Sources

Each side retains the source release, reference period, occupation code, and file hash used for the comparison.

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Source-backed

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Release May 2025 · Reference 2025

Occupation code 51-8099 · SHA-256 b5855a37f3e03e779f6fbf173d3bbc94aeeff33426aef32fa95ce6d025bab1af

Employment Projections

Source-backed

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Release 2025-2035 · Reference 2025-2035

Occupation code 51-8099 · SHA-256 a7d060f0576f7d4f5b829b9a0bb4a6c11a12766d159ebb0e07aab5bd2e7583c5

Chemical Plant and System Operators

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Source-backed

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Release May 2025 · Reference 2025

Occupation code 51-8091 · SHA-256 b5855a37f3e03e779f6fbf173d3bbc94aeeff33426aef32fa95ce6d025bab1af

Employment Projections

Source-backed

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Release 2025-2035 · Reference 2025-2035

Occupation code 51-8091 · SHA-256 a7d060f0576f7d4f5b829b9a0bb4a6c11a12766d159ebb0e07aab5bd2e7583c5

O*NET Database

Source-backed

O*NET Resource Center

Release 31.0 · Reference August 2026

Occupation code 51-8091.00 · SHA-256 c63ad00a8e45f3d3ef8e1529fcf8864d2279f2dfcb98737436818f5664781b04

Read the data in context

Career Matchup does not declare an overall winner. National estimates can hide local variation, and O*NET relative values describe the named construct rather than whether a career is better.

Career Matchup is an independent comparison tool.

Data sourcesData availabilityAboutFree guideContactPrivacyTermsData: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET® Database.