SALARY DATA — SOC 51-9011
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
51-0000 Production Occupations
The 90/10 ratio for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders is 2.46× — the national median is $58,040 but top decile earns $92,250. The spread exists; it's concentrated in geography, specialization, and industry sector. Knowing which end of the band you're on is the whole negotiation.
BLS OEWS reference period: May 2025. Employment: 139,630.
Wage distribution — the receipts
National OEWS annual wage percentiles. "vs. median" column shows each percentile relative to the occupation's own national median — this is where your position in the band lives. Source and series IDs: methodology page.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs. median | Hourly (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th pct — bottom decile | $37,440 | -35% | ~$18 |
| 25th pct — lower quartile | $45,970 | -21% | ~$22 |
| Median — 50th pct | $58,040 | — | $27.90/hr |
| Mean — average | $60,710 | +5% | $29.19/hr |
| 75th pct — upper quartile | $74,080 | +28% | ~$36 |
| 90th pct — top decile | $92,250 | +59% | ~$44 |
Source: BLS OEWS national estimates. Annual wage ÷ 2,080 hrs = hourly estimate. Hourly-median is direct from OEWS when available; others are estimates only.
Pay by metro area
BLS publishes May 2025 wage estimates for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders in 192 metro areas; the 10 with the most jobs are below, ranked by employment.
| Metro | Jobs | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 9,390 | $79,430 | $36,630 | $106,230 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 8,060 | $54,790 | $35,980 | $79,260 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 4,510 | $61,250 | $39,210 | $89,060 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 4,110 | $60,410 | $44,150 | $85,010 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 3,640 | $47,230 | $35,450 | $96,400 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 2,500 | $93,920 | $50,850 | $112,900 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 2,330 | $61,020 | $44,160 | $71,600 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | 2,300 | $36,450 | $26,300 | $55,390 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 2,030 | $49,240 | $36,000 | $69,740 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 2,030 | $55,750 | $40,220 | $77,720 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — metropolitan area estimates (oesm25ma/MSA_M2025_dl.xlsx). Jobs are rounded to the nearest ten and exclude the self-employed; a dash means BLS suppressed that percentile.
Pay by industry
Across 32 detailed industries with a publishable estimate, the 5 that employ the most Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders are below, with the median wage each one pays.
| Industry | NAICS | Jobs | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 3250A1 | 71,950 | $61,600 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 325400 | 32,560 | $49,820 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 3250A2 | 19,830 | $48,550 |
| Employment Services | 561300 | 2,530 | $41,960 |
| Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 324100 | 2,060 | $98,320 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — national 4-digit NAICS industry estimates (oesm25in4/nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx), all ownerships combined. Industries where BLS suppresses the wage are omitted rather than shown as zero.
What it pays vs. what it buys
The wage is only half the number. Below, the metro median for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders is divided by that metro's BEA Regional Price Parity — the federal measure of what a dollar actually buys there. Nominal is what the job pays. Real is what it buys at local prices. Which reorders the answer: New York ranks #24 of 49 on the paycheck and #35 once you spend it.
| Metro | Nominal | Prices | Real | Rank shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | $94,450 | 97.2 | $97,139 | — |
| Houston | $79,430 | 95.6 | $83,109 | — |
| Washington | $72,660 | 102.3 | $71,041 | — |
| San Francisco | $71,210 | 106.2 | $67,062 | — |
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $63,490 | 95.0 | $66,863 | +1 |
| Cleveland | $62,200 | 93.9 | $66,224 | +1 |
| Richmond | $61,840 | 98.6 | $62,718 | +2 |
| San Diego | $61,870 | 99.6 | $62,105 | — |
| Indianapolis | $61,020 | 99.1 | $61,570 | +3 |
| Kansas City | $57,500 | 93.4 | $61,559 | +9 |
Top 10 of 49 metros by real wage. Rank shift = places gained or lost against the nominal ranking. Kansas City gains 9 places. Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan estimates; BEA Regional Price Parities (national = 100). Metros where BLS suppresses the estimate are omitted rather than shown as zero. Full data at /salaries-metro.json.
Is this job growing or dying?
BLS projects employment in Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders to move from 140,800 to 145,800 over 2025–2035 — +3.6% , with about 13,900 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted . Typical entry requirement: high school diploma or equivalent.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2 (2025–2035). Openings count growth and replacement need together, which is why a shrinking occupation can still hire. Full data at /employment-projections.json.
Salary FAQ
- What is the median salary for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders?
- The median annual salary for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders is $58,040, and the mean is $60,710 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025).
- What is the salary range for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders?
- Most Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders earn between $37,440 and $92,250 a year. The wage gap inside the occupation is a 2.46× ratio — workers at the 90th percentile earn 2.46 times those at the 10th (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
- Where does pay for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders fall the most after adjusting for cost of living?
- Local prices reorder the ranking. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ranks #24 by nominal pay but #35 of 49 metros once local prices are applied (BEA Regional Price Parities).
- Is employment for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders growing or shrinking?
- BLS projects Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders employment to grow 3.6% over the 2025–2035 window, with about 13,900 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted (BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035).
- How many Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders jobs are there in the US?
- BLS counts about 139,630 workers in Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Figures from this page's OEWS / Employment Projections / BEA data, above. Methodology at /methodology#oews-salaries.
Related occupations
Other Production Occupations whose national median wage is closest to that of Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders: same SOC major group, nearest median first.
- Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic $58,000
- Tire Builders $57,390
- Machinists $58,750
- Model Makers, Wood $56,550
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators $60,020
- Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders $54,430
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers $53,750
- Engine and Other Machine Assemblers $53,710
The national wage distribution and the metro and industry tables above are BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders (SOC 51-9011): percentiles from the OEWS API series, metro and industry rows from the published bulk tables — how they are fetched, what OEWS leaves out (equity, bonuses, benefits) and how the 90/10 ratio is read are documented at /methodology#oews-salaries and #oews-breakdown. The other sections keep their own sources and periods: the cost-adjusted metro table divides OEWS metro medians by BEA Regional Price Parities (/methodology#burnout-index); the outlook and its FAQ entry are BLS Employment Projections for 2025–2035.
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Raw JSON: /salaries/chemical-equipment-operators-and-tenders-51-9011.json · License: CC BY 4.0 · Source: BLS OEWS · Cite as: Office Blues OEWS Salary Data, Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders, officeblues.net/salaries/chemical-equipment-operators-and-tenders-51-9011
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