Gas Plant Operators Salary
The median pay for a gas plant operators in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA is $125,550/year ($60.36/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $104K at the entry level to $133K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 113.57), so that salary is closer to $110,549 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,601/month, about 35.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $126K get you in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim’s Regional Price Parity (113.57). 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 gas plant operators
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What this looks like in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim sits well above the national pay line for gas plant operators, local pay runs about 43% higher than the U.S. median of $88K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,601/month, which is 35.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 14% above the national average (BEA RPP 113.57), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for gas plant operators in metros near Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $99K | $88K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $124K | $117K |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $119K | $113K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Entry-level gas plant operators (10th percentile) start around $104K. Mid-career wages sit at $126K. Top earners bring in $133K or more, a $29K spread from bottom to top.
Gas Plant Operators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Gas Plant Operators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $130K | +48% | 800 |
| New Jersey | $111K | +26% | 190 |
| Oregon | $110K | +25% | 70 |
| Connecticut | $109K | +24% | N/A |
| Louisiana | $108K | +23% | 800 |
| Arizona | $105K | +19% | 140 |
| Massachusetts | $104K | +18% | 340 |
| Maryland | $103K | +17% | 180 |
| South Dakota | $101K | +16% | 90 |
| Arkansas | $101K | +15% | 400 |
| Minnesota | $101K | +14% | 360 |
| Michigan | $101K | +14% | 540 |
| New York | $98K | +12% | 240 |
| Utah | $98K | +12% | 160 |
| Colorado | $98K | +12% | 570 |
| Illinois | $98K | +11% | 530 |
| New Mexico | $98K | +11% | 300 |
| North Dakota | $97K | +10% | 770 |
| Maine | $94K | +7% | 30 |
| Iowa | $93K | +6% | 480 |
| Missouri | $88K | +0% | 220 |
| Nebraska | $88K | -0% | 270 |
| Virginia | $87K | -2% | 400 |
| Indiana | $86K | -2% | 280 |
| Wisconsin | $85K | -3% | 150 |
| Washington | $84K | -5% | 120 |
| Montana | $84K | -5% | 70 |
| West Virginia | $83K | -6% | 420 |
| Ohio | $82K | -6% | 570 |
| Mississippi | $82K | -7% | 340 |
| Wyoming | $82K | -7% | 480 |
| North Carolina | $81K | -7% | 320 |
| Georgia | $81K | -8% | 110 |
| Pennsylvania | $81K | -8% | 1,370 |
| Kansas | $81K | -8% | 350 |
| Texas | $80K | -9% | 2,550 |
| Idaho | $79K | -10% | 50 |
| Oklahoma | $78K | -11% | 970 |
| Alabama | $77K | -12% | N/A |
| South Carolina | $68K | -23% | 280 |
| Florida | $67K | -24% | 130 |
| Tennessee | $67K | -24% | 200 |
| Kentucky | $63K | -28% | 200 |
Showing 1–10 of 43 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track gas plant operators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a gas plant operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $126K, rent takes 35.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,601/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for gas plant operators in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new gas plant operators typically earn — is $104K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,223/month. At HUD’s $2,601/month FMR, rent would take 42% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is gas plant operator a high-paying job in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Local pay is 43% above the national median — $126K here vs. $88K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 14% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim compare to the national average for gas plant operators?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim pays $126K median vs. the U.S. average of $88K — that’s +43%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 113.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $111K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do gas plant operators make in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
The median is $125,550 a year, that works out to about $60 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $103,720, and experienced gas plant operators can clear $132,570. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $126K enough to live in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,396/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,601/month, which eats 35.2% 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 gas plant operators salary go in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim has a Regional Price Parity of 113.57 (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 gas plant operators salary is worth about $110,549 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do gas plant 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.