Chemical Plant and System Operators Salary
Chemical Plant and System Operators in Worcester, MA make a median of $88,510 a year, or about $42.56 an hour. The range runs from $67K at the entry level to $107K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.52), that's roughly $86,334 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,056/month, about 36.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $89K get you in Worcester?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Worcester’s Regional Price Parity (102.52). 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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What this looks like in Worcester
Worcester sits well above the national pay line for chemical plant and system operators, local pay runs about 13% higher than the U.S. median of $78K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,056/month, which is 37.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 102.52) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chemical plant and system operators in metros near Worcester, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $82K | $76K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $90K | $80K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $55K | $55K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $84K | $88K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Worcester, MA
Entry-level chemical plant and system operators (10th percentile) start around $67K. Mid-career wages sit at $89K. Top earners bring in $107K or more, a $40K spread from bottom to top.
Chemical Plant and System Operators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chemical Plant and System Operators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | $129K | +65% | 60 |
| Wyoming | $108K | +38% | 300 |
| Texas | $103K | +32% | 2,360 |
| Louisiana | $100K | +28% | 3,400 |
| Kentucky | $98K | +25% | 40 |
| Maryland | $95K | +22% | 290 |
| Alabama | $92K | +17% | 230 |
| Arkansas | $92K | +17% | 240 |
| California | $88K | +12% | 780 |
| Oregon | $87K | +12% | 120 |
| New Jersey | $87K | +11% | 330 |
| Massachusetts | $84K | +7% | 570 |
| Idaho | $83K | +6% | 60 |
| West Virginia | $82K | +5% | 380 |
| New Mexico | $73K | -7% | N/A |
| Michigan | $72K | -7% | 40 |
| Mississippi | $71K | -9% | 320 |
| Pennsylvania | $70K | -10% | 770 |
| South Carolina | $69K | -12% | 610 |
| Ohio | $68K | -13% | 240 |
| Minnesota | $67K | -15% | 150 |
| Illinois | $66K | -16% | 160 |
| Utah | $63K | -19% | 320 |
| Virginia | $63K | -19% | 760 |
| New York | $63K | -19% | 120 |
| North Carolina | $63K | -19% | 660 |
| Colorado | $63K | -20% | 400 |
| Wisconsin | $63K | -20% | 90 |
| Iowa | $60K | -23% | 490 |
| Washington | $60K | -23% | 350 |
| South Dakota | $60K | -23% | 180 |
| Missouri | $55K | -29% | 450 |
| Georgia | $49K | -37% | 220 |
| Indiana | $49K | -37% | 320 |
| Tennessee | $46K | -41% | 350 |
Showing 1–10 of 35 states with published data
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 Worcester numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a chemical plant and system operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Worcester?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $89K, rent takes 37.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,056/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemical plant and system operators in Worcester?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemical plant and system operators typically earn — is $67K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,000/month. At HUD’s $2,056/month FMR, rent would take 51% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is chemical plant and system operator a high-paying job in Worcester?
Local pay is 13% above the national median — $89K here vs. $78K nationally.
How does Worcester compare to the national average for chemical plant and system operators?
Worcester pays $89K median vs. the U.S. average of $78K — that’s +13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.52), the purchasing-power equivalent is $86K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chemical plant and system operators make in Worcester, MA?
The median is $88,510 a year, that works out to about $43 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $66,660, and experienced chemical plant and system operators can clear $106,890. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $89K enough to live in Worcester?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,519/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,056/month, which eats 37.3% 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 Worcester?
Worcester has a Regional Price Parity of 102.52 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median chemical plant and system operators salary is worth about $86,334 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.