SOC 51-8091 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Chemical Plant and System Operators — Tennessee
Tennessee · 1 metro areas compared
The median wage for Chemical Plant and System Operators in Tennessee is $45,830 per year, substantially below the national median of $78,120 — a gap of 41.3%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -6.1%
- Openings per year
- 1,600
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Tennessee.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Chemical Plant and System Operators in Tennessee is $45,830 per year, substantially below the national median of $78,120 — a gap of 41.3%. Pay ranges from under $41,620 at the tenth percentile to more than $74,850 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $43,070 to $55,760.
Employment stands at 350, or 0.1 jobs per thousand held locally. Among the 35 states with published data for this occupation, Tennessee ranks 35th by median wage. Memphis leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $57,370. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 498th of 730 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $41,620 | −46.7% |
| 25th | $43,070 | −44.9% |
| Median (50th) | $45,830 | −41.3% |
| 75th | $55,760 | −28.6% |
| 90th | $74,850 | −4.2% |
| Mean | $52,060 | −33.4% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Tennessee
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memphis | $57,370 | 100 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Tennessee run 8.1% below the national average, so the median of $45,830 goes as far as $49,869 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 36.2% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$45,830as reported by BLSLocal price level
91.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$49,869US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $45,830 a year, 41.3% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $41,620 to $74,850 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 350 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 35th of 35 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Memphis, at $57,370.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Chemical Plant and System Operators in Tennessee?
The median annual wage is $45,830, or $22.03 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $78,120, so pay in Tennessee is 41.3% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Tennessee earns more than $74,850 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $41,620 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Memphis, at $57,370 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 350 jobs in this occupation in Tennessee. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
Explore related data