Production

Gas Plant Operators

15/100
#487 of 825
$87,820
median pay, U.S.
18,030
employed (2024)
-8.8%
growth, 2024–34
1,300
openings per year
High school diploma or equivalent
typical entry education

Is gas plant operators a good career?

It scores 15/100 and ranks #487 of 825 occupations on pay, growth, employment and openings. Here's what the federal data says, with no editorializing.

Advantages

  • Pays well above the U.S. median wage ($87,820 vs $61,390)
  • No college degree typically required to enter

Possible tradeoffs

  • Employment is projected to decline (-8.8% through 2034)

What gas plant operators earn

Wages: BLS OEWS May 2025

Pay is a range, not a number. Half of U.S. gas plant operators earn between $76,870 and $100,870 a year.

Best-paying states

California statewide
$130,220
New Jersey statewide
$110,900
Oregon statewide
$109,760
Connecticut statewide
$109,060
Louisiana statewide
$108,350
Arizona statewide
$104,600
Massachusetts statewide
$103,830
Maryland statewide
$102,950
South Dakota statewide
$101,450
Arkansas statewide
$100,870
$40k $100k $160k

Best-paying metros

01 Los Angeles, CA $125,550
02 Riverside, CA $124,480
03 New York, NY $118,870
04 Portland, OR $118,640
05 Baton Rouge, LA $113,570
06 Detroit, MI $108,650
07 Boston, MA $104,770
08 Grand Rapids, MI $104,440

Strongest employment concentration

01 Texas 2,550
02 Pennsylvania 1,370
03 Oklahoma 970
04 California 800
05 Louisiana 800
06 North Dakota 770

Live gas plant operators jobs

No live gas plant operators openings yet

When the jobs.best ATS feed launches, verified gas plant operators openings will appear here — each shown against the $87,820 national median. Nothing here is placeholder.

No placeholder listings · nothing invented

How to become a gas plant operator

Typical education
High school diploma or equivalent
Work experience
None
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training

Related occupations

High school diploma or equivalent · $60,020 median
High school diploma or equivalent · $96,710 median
High school diploma or equivalent · $102,040 median
Questions about becoming a gas plant operator
How much do gas plant operators make?

The national median wage is $87,820 a year, with the middle half earning between $76,870 and $100,870 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Is gas plant operators a good career?

On the Jobs.best index it scores 15 of 100 and ranks #487 of 825 occupations, weighing pay, growth, employment and openings. Employment is projected to change -8.8% through 2034.

What education do you need to become a gas plant operator?

The typical entry-level education is high school diploma or equivalent.

Where do gas plant operators earn the most?

Among states, California pays the highest median ($130,220). Local pay for every state and metro is below.

U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsWages: BLS OEWS May 2025 · Projections: BLS EP 2024–34
Sources: OEWS-M2025 · EP-2024-34. How we score careers →