Gas Plant Operators pay in the U.S.
$88,710avg. a year
$42.65 an hour · 18,030 employed
Gas Plant Operators in the U.S. earn an average of $88,710 a year and a median of $87,820. Pay is highest in California ($120,680) and lowest in Kentucky ($67,080).
$87,820Median pay
$42.65Average hourly
+21%Avg. pay since 2020
18,030Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for gas plant operators
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1800 jobs
California
$120,680
$58.02 an hour
2190 jobs
New Jersey
$111,490
$53.60 an hour
370 jobs
Oregon
$110,010
$52.89 an hour
4
Connecticut
$103,270
$49.65 an hour
5340 jobs
Massachusetts
$102,210
$49.14 an hour
6540 jobs
Michigan
$101,500
$48.80 an hour
7240 jobs
New York
$99,740
$47.95 an hour
8770 jobs
North Dakota
$99,740
$47.95 an hour
9140 jobs
Arizona
$99,250
$47.71 an hour
1090 jobs
South Dakota
$97,770
$47.00 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Gas Plant Operators pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $81k$81k–$87k$87k–$95k$95k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $121,110 | $58.22 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $115,310 | $55.44 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $103,970 | $49.99 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $102,160 | $49.12 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $101,820 | $48.95 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $99,940 | $48.05 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $96,520 | $46.40 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $95,240 | $45.79 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Gas Plant Operators pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $75,660 | $77,120 | – |
| Arizona | $99,250 | $104,600 | 140 |
| Arkansas | $91,850 | $100,870 | 400 |
| California | $120,680 | $130,220 | 800 |
| Colorado | $93,470 | $98,080 | 570 |
| Connecticut | $103,270 | $109,060 | – |
| Florida | $67,630 | $67,170 | 130 |
| Georgia | $80,440 | $81,220 | 110 |
| Idaho | $81,240 | $79,280 | 50 |
| Illinois | $90,040 | $97,810 | 530 |
| Indiana | $86,770 | $85,790 | 280 |
| Iowa | $86,690 | $92,970 | 480 |
| Kansas | $82,430 | $80,760 | 350 |
| Kentucky | $67,080 | $63,070 | 200 |
| Louisiana | $93,270 | $108,350 | 800 |
| Maine | $89,750 | $93,990 | 30 |
| Maryland | $95,350 | $102,950 | 180 |
| Massachusetts | $102,210 | $103,830 | 340 |
| Michigan | $101,500 | $100,500 | 540 |
| Minnesota | $93,040 | $100,500 | 360 |
| Mississippi | $78,290 | $81,600 | 340 |
| Missouri | $86,680 | $87,820 | 220 |
| Montana | $85,420 | $83,630 | 70 |
| Nebraska | $87,760 | $87,790 | 270 |
| New Jersey | $111,490 | $110,900 | 190 |
| New Mexico | $91,050 | $97,660 | 300 |
| New York | $99,740 | $98,390 | 240 |
| North Carolina | $85,560 | $81,460 | 320 |
| North Dakota | $99,740 | $96,760 | 770 |
| Ohio | $81,040 | $82,130 | 570 |
| Oklahoma | $77,580 | $78,310 | 970 |
| Oregon | $110,010 | $109,760 | 70 |
| Pennsylvania | $84,020 | $80,810 | 1,370 |
| South Carolina | $69,080 | $67,580 | 280 |
| South Dakota | $97,770 | $101,450 | 90 |
| Tennessee | $71,020 | $66,560 | 200 |
| Texas | $81,770 | $79,910 | 2,550 |
| Utah | $94,590 | $98,300 | 160 |
| Virginia | $87,150 | $86,500 | 400 |
| Washington | $86,700 | $83,650 | 120 |
| West Virginia | $80,530 | $82,600 | 420 |
| Wisconsin | $85,100 | $85,080 | 150 |
| Wyoming | $88,140 | $81,550 | 480 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$85,040
1,510 jobsPittsburgh, PA
$86,780
440 jobsDenver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$99,940
360 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$96,520
340 jobsDetroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
$103,970
290 jobsMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
$94,320
290 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$115,310
270 jobsTulsa, OK
$75,530
270 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do gas plant operators make?
The average is $88,710 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $87,820 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $42.65, and the median is $42.22 an hour.
Which state pays gas plant operators the most?
California, with an average of $120,680 a year. The best-paying metro area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA at $121,110.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $61,350 a year, and the top 10% earn over $115,520.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 51-8092. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.