SOC 51-8099 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Plant and System Operators, All Other — Dallas
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX · 10 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Dallas, TX is $50,720 a year, trailing the national median of $62,470 by 18.8%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow more slowly than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +1.6%
- 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
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
Median pay for this occupation in Dallas, TX is $50,720 a year, trailing the national median of $62,470 by 18.8%. Half of workers earn between $41,500 and $66,020. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $37,730 and the ninetieth at $94,720.
The area has 1,010 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.2 of every thousand jobs. Midland leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $60,100. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 430th of 713 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $37,730 | −39.6% |
| 25th | $41,500 | −33.6% |
| Median (50th) | $50,720 | −18.8% |
| 75th | $66,020 | +5.7% |
| 90th | $94,720 | +51.6% |
| Mean | $59,430 | −4.9% |
Other metro areas in Texas
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Dallas run 3.1% above the national average, so the median of $50,720 buys what $49,195 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 21.3% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$50,720as reported by BLSLocal price level
103.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$49,195US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $50,720 a year, 18.8% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $37,730 to $94,720 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 1,010 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Midland, at $60,100.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Plant and System Operators, All Other in Dallas, TX?
The median annual wage is $50,720, or $24.38 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 $62,470, so pay in Dallas, TX is 18.8% 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 Dallas, TX earns more than $94,720 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $37,730 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 Midland, at $60,100 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 1,010 jobs in this occupation in Dallas, TX. 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.
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