Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders Salary
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX make a median of $79,430 a year, or about $38.19 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $106K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.63), that's roughly $80,533 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,573/month, or 28.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $79K get you in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands’s Regional Price Parity (98.63). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About chemical equipment operators and tenders
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What this looks like in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands sits well above the national pay line for chemical equipment operators and tenders, local pay runs about 37% higher than the U.S. median of $58K. Rent runs $1,573/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.63) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chemical equipment operators and tenders in metros near Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Texarkana | $59K | $71K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $47K | $46K |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $97K | $107K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $42K | $43K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
Entry-level chemical equipment operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $79K. Top earners bring in $106K or more, a $70K spread from bottom to top.
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $102K | +75% | 290 |
| Alabama | $80K | +38% | 3,280 |
| Montana | $80K | +37% | 40 |
| Louisiana | $79K | +35% | 6,430 |
| Idaho | $77K | +33% | 550 |
| Rhode Island | $70K | +20% | 430 |
| Washington | $67K | +16% | 1,720 |
| West Virginia | $66K | +14% | 1,190 |
| Arkansas | $64K | +11% | 1,160 |
| Mississippi | $64K | +11% | 990 |
| Delaware | $63K | +9% | 1,160 |
| Illinois | $62K | +7% | 5,580 |
| Tennessee | $61K | +5% | 3,860 |
| New Mexico | $61K | +5% | 170 |
| Ohio | $61K | +4% | 7,830 |
| Texas | $60K | +4% | 20,880 |
| Virginia | $60K | +3% | 2,040 |
| Maryland | $60K | +3% | 1,220 |
| Nebraska | $60K | +3% | 1,020 |
| Nevada | $59K | +1% | 210 |
| Connecticut | $58K | +1% | 860 |
| California | $58K | +0% | 5,670 |
| Iowa | $58K | -1% | 2,010 |
| Kentucky | $58K | -1% | 3,590 |
| Maine | $57K | -1% | 250 |
| Massachusetts | $57K | -2% | 2,860 |
| Indiana | $57K | -2% | 6,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $57K | -2% | 6,230 |
| Oregon | $57K | -3% | 950 |
| New Jersey | $57K | -3% | 8,560 |
| South Carolina | $56K | -3% | 4,040 |
| Kansas | $55K | -5% | 1,920 |
| Minnesota | $53K | -8% | 1,170 |
| Wisconsin | $51K | -12% | 2,730 |
| Missouri | $51K | -13% | 2,790 |
| Colorado | $50K | -13% | 910 |
| Oklahoma | $50K | -14% | 790 |
| Michigan | $50K | -14% | 5,210 |
| Georgia | $50K | -14% | 4,330 |
| North Carolina | $50K | -14% | 5,260 |
| New York | $50K | -14% | 4,270 |
| New Hampshire | $49K | -15% | 350 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -16% | 230 |
| Hawaii | $48K | -18% | 30 |
| Arizona | $46K | -21% | 1,330 |
| Florida | $44K | -24% | 4,270 |
| Utah | $39K | -33% | 2,610 |
Showing 1–10 of 47 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track chemical equipment operators and tenders salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a chemical equipment operators and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Yes — at the median salary of $79K, rent takes 29.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,573/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemical equipment operators and tenders in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemical equipment operators and tenders typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,198/month. At HUD’s $1,573/month FMR, rent would take 72% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is chemical equipment operators and tender a high-paying job in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Local pay is 37% above the national median — $79K here vs. $58K nationally.
How does Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands compare to the national average for chemical equipment operators and tenders?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pays $79K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s +37%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.63), the purchasing-power equivalent is $81K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chemical equipment operators and tenders make in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?
The median is $79,430 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,630, and experienced chemical equipment operators and tenders can clear $106,230. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $79K enough to live in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,355/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,573/month, which eats 29.4% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a chemical equipment operators and tenders salary go in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands has a Regional Price Parity of 98.63 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median chemical equipment operators and tenders salary is worth about $80,533 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chemical equipment operators and tenders get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.