Chemical Plant and System Operators Salary in St. Louis, MO-IL
Chemical Plant and System Operators in St. Louis, MO-IL make a median of $50,690 a year, or about $24.37 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.09), that's roughly $53,307 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,218/month — about 36.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $51K get you in St. Louis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by St. Louis’s Regional Price Parity (95.09). 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 plant and system operators
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Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, St. Louis, MO-IL
Entry-level chemical plant and system operators (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $13K spread from bottom to top.
Chemical Plant and System Operators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | $113K | +54% | 410 |
| Wyoming | $104K | +42% | 320 |
| Texas | $99K | +35% | 2,980 |
| Kentucky | $99K | +34% | 70 |
| Louisiana | $97K | +31% | 3,360 |
| Maryland | $93K | +26% | 320 |
| New Jersey | $89K | +20% | 320 |
| California | $88K | +20% | 590 |
| Alabama | $84K | +15% | N/A |
| Pennsylvania | $76K | +3% | 750 |
| Florida | $69K | -7% | 230 |
| West Virginia | $68K | -8% | 230 |
| Michigan | $67K | -9% | 90 |
| Illinois | $67K | -9% | 290 |
| Tennessee | $66K | -10% | 260 |
| Ohio | $66K | -11% | 460 |
| Massachusetts | $66K | -11% | 250 |
| Montana | $65K | -11% | 120 |
| Minnesota | $64K | -12% | 110 |
| Georgia | $63K | -15% | 200 |
| Connecticut | $63K | -15% | 30 |
| Virginia | $62K | -16% | N/A |
| South Carolina | $61K | -17% | 480 |
| New York | $61K | -17% | 120 |
| Iowa | $60K | -18% | N/A |
| Washington | $58K | -21% | 220 |
| Idaho | $57K | -22% | 40 |
| South Dakota | $57K | -23% | 180 |
| North Carolina | $57K | -23% | 1,130 |
| Mississippi | $56K | -24% | 300 |
| Utah | $53K | -27% | 330 |
| Indiana | $51K | -30% | 290 |
| Wisconsin | $51K | -31% | 110 |
| Missouri | $51K | -31% | 370 |
| Arkansas | $46K | -37% | 160 |
Showing 1–10 of 35 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track chemical plant and system operators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when St. Louis numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
How much do chemical plant and system operators make in St. Louis, MO-IL?
The median is $50,690 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,170, and experienced chemical plant and system operators can clear $60,260. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in St. Louis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,429/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,218/month, which eats 35.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a chemical plant and system operators salary go in St. Louis?
St. Louis has a Regional Price Parity of 95.09 (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 plant and system operators salary is worth about $53,307 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chemical plant and system operators 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.