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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

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 this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
14,620 3.8 % $34.36 $71,470 0.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $22.04 $27.92 $34.17 $40.00 $48.27
Annual Wage (2) $45,830 $58,070 $71,070 $83,210 $100,410


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

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

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Natural Gas Distribution 5,320 4.87 $36.54 $76,010
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas 4,310 14.91 $34.22 $71,180
Oil and Gas Extraction 1,290 0.92 $35.11 $73,030
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 1,080 0.02 $24.44 $50,830
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 680 0.17 $36.99 $76,940

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas 4,310 14.91 $34.22 $71,180
Natural Gas Distribution 5,320 4.87 $36.54 $76,010
Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil 280 2.59 $33.17 $68,980
Other Pipeline Transportation 200 2.22 $33.08 $68,800
Oil and Gas Extraction 1,290 0.92 $35.11 $73,030

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 60 (7) $46.25 $96,200
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 110 0.10 $41.11 $85,510
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 680 0.17 $36.99 $76,940
Natural Gas Distribution 5,320 4.87 $36.54 $76,010
Oil and Gas Extraction 1,290 0.92 $35.11 $73,030


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

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





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 2,960 0.24 2.42 $33.02 $68,690
California 970 0.06 0.57 $48.85 $101,610
Pennsylvania 930 0.16 1.58 $32.31 $67,210
Michigan 710 0.16 1.63 $36.87 $76,690
Illinois 520 0.09 0.86 $35.86 $74,590




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Wyoming 380 1.41 13.94 $35.52 $73,870
North Dakota 500 1.20 11.91 $41.22 $85,740
New Mexico 420 0.51 5.09 $29.76 $61,910
West Virginia 280 0.41 4.03 $34.01 $70,730
Kansas 350 0.25 2.50 $32.53 $67,660




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 970 0.06 0.57 $48.85 $101,610
North Dakota 500 1.20 11.91 $41.22 $85,740
Massachusetts 160 0.04 0.43 $41.09 $85,470
Washington 70 0.02 0.21 $39.80 $82,790
Maryland 110 0.04 0.39 $39.16 $81,460





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,920 0.64 6.36 $33.49 $69,650
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 400 0.20 2.00 $35.86 $74,590
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 390 0.04 0.41 $36.99 $76,950
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 380 0.08 0.81 $37.90 $78,830
Pittsburgh, PA 270 0.24 2.33 $33.17 $68,990
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 240 0.07 0.68 $32.98 $68,600
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 230 0.10 0.95 (8) (8)
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 200 0.07 0.69 $34.22 $71,170
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 200 0.03 0.32 $46.32 $96,340
Birmingham-Hoover, AL 170 0.33 3.25 $32.72 $68,060




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,920 0.64 6.36 $33.49 $69,650
Greeley, CO 50 0.50 4.91 $35.64 $74,130
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH 50 0.41 4.04 $32.35 $67,290
Birmingham-Hoover, AL 170 0.33 3.25 $32.72 $68,060
Charleston, WV 40 0.32 3.14 $34.63 $72,020
Worcester, MA-CT 80 0.29 2.82 $37.76 $78,550
Oklahoma City, OK 160 0.26 2.61 $32.04 $66,640
Pittsburgh, PA 270 0.24 2.33 $33.17 $68,990
Corpus Christi, TX 50 0.24 2.39 $35.58 $74,000
Richmond, VA 130 0.20 1.94 $25.09 $52,190




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 80 0.05 0.51 $47.38 $98,550
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 110 0.08 0.77 $47.00 $97,750
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 200 0.03 0.32 $46.32 $96,340
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH (8) (8) (8) $44.56 $92,690
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 40 0.02 0.19 $42.51 $88,420
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI 90 0.15 1.49 $42.26 $87,890
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY 40 0.07 0.65 $40.79 $84,850
Kansas City, MO-KS (8) (8) (8) $39.99 $83,180
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 380 0.08 0.81 $37.90 $78,830
Worcester, MA-CT 80 0.29 2.82 $37.76 $78,550

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 500 4.14 40.93 $41.22 $85,740
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 330 0.83 8.24 $32.40 $67,400
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 270 1.73 17.11 $31.10 $64,680
Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 260 2.65 26.18 $36.23 $75,350
West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 230 1.19 11.81 $31.49 $65,510

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 500 4.14 40.93 $41.22 $85,740
Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 260 2.65 26.18 $36.23 $75,350
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 270 1.73 17.11 $31.10 $64,680
Northern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 200 1.28 12.65 $28.28 $58,810
West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 230 1.19 11.81 $31.49 $65,510

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 30 0.26 2.61 $44.56 $92,690
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 500 4.14 40.93 $41.22 $85,740
Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 260 2.65 26.18 $36.23 $75,350
Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $36.20 $75,290
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 80 0.84 8.34 $34.86 $72,500


About May 2018 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.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(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 OES estimates and related information:

May 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019