Occupation salary profile

Gas Plant Operators

SOC 51-8092 BLS OEWS May 2025

Distribute or process gas for utility companies and others by controlling compressors to maintain specified pressures on main pipelines.

National median · BLS
$87,820
▲ +5.3% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$88,710
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
18,030
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Gas Plant Operators

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$61,350
25th$76,870
Median (50th)$87,820
75th$100,870
90th — top pay$115,520

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Gas Plant Operators

BLS projects employment of gas plant operators to decline 6% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%. About 1,400 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
18,200 → 17,100
-1,100 jobs
Projected change
-6%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
1,400
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-declining jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Gas Plant Operators

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Operations Monitoring4.1
  • Operation and Control3.8
  • Monitoring3.6
  • Critical Thinking3.5
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.3
  • Quality Control Analysis3.3
  • Reading Comprehension3.1
  • Active Listening3.0
  • Complex Problem Solving3.0
  • Coordination3.0
Top knowledge areas
  • Public Safety and Security3.9
  • Mechanical3.8
  • English Language3.6
  • Computers and Electronics3.4
  • Mathematics3.2
  • Engineering and Technology3.1
  • Production and Processing3.1
  • Customer and Personal Service3.0
Software and technology used
Google AndroidMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordSAP softwareAspenTech HYSYSOperating log softwareQuorum PGASSupervisory control and data acquisition SCADA softwareWork scheduling software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What gas plant operators do

  • Monitor equipment functioning, observe temperature, level, and flow gauges, and perform regular unit checks to ensure that all equipment is operating as it should.
  • Distribute or process gas for utility companies or industrial plants, using panel boards, control boards, and semi-automatic equipment.
  • Control operation of compressors, scrubbers, evaporators, and refrigeration equipment to liquefy, compress, or regasify natural gas.
  • Control equipment to regulate flow and pressure of gas to feedlines of boilers, furnaces, and related steam-generating or heating equipment.
  • Record, review, and compile operations records, test results, and gauge readings such as temperatures, pressures, concentrations, and flows.
  • Determine causes of abnormal pressure variances, and make corrective recommendations, such as installation of pipes to relieve overloading.
  • Adjust temperature, pressure, vacuum, level, flow rate, or transfer of gas to maintain processes at required levels or to correct problems.
  • Collaborate with other operators to solve unit problems.
Also called
Gas ControllerGas DispatcherGas Plant OperatorPlant OperatorCompressor Technician (Compressor Tech)Engine Room OperatorGas Resource Control OperatorGas System OperatorLiquefied Natural Gas Technician (LNG Technician)Liquid Natural Gas Plant Operator (LNG Plant Operator)
More job titles for this occupation (35)
Bulk Gas SpecialistField GaugerField Technician (Field Tech)Fuel AttendantGas Distribution Plant OperatorGas MakerGas OperatorGas Plant DispatcherGas Plant SpecialistGas Plant Technician (Gas Plant Tech)Gas Processing Plant OperatorGas ProducerGas SpecialistGas Systems WorkerGas Technician (Gas Tech)Gas TreaterHeat Plant SpecialistHigh Pressure OperatorLandfill Gas Technician (Landfill Gas Tech)Liquefaction and Regasification Plant OperatorLiquefaction Plant OperatorLiquefied Natural Gas Operator (LNG Operator)Load DispatcherNatural Gas Plant Technician (Natural Gas Plant Tech)Oil and Gas SpecialistOperation SpecialistOperatorOxygen Plant OperatorPlant SpecialistPressure ControllerPressure DispatcherRegasification Plant OperatorTank Terminal GaugerTerminal GaugerWater Gas Operator

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.