Gas Plant Operators Salary
The median pay for a gas plant operators in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN is $66,970/year ($32.2/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $87K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.34), that's roughly $69,514 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,730/month, about 37.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $67K get you in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin’s Regional Price Parity (96.34). 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
Pay for gas plant operators in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin runs about 24% below the U.S. median of $88K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,730/month, which is 37.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.34) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for gas plant operatorss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for gas plant operators in metros near Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Memphis | $67K | $72K |
| Birmingham | $80K | $88K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $89K | $92K |
| Kansas City | $81K | $88K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
Entry-level gas plant operators (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $67K. Top earners bring in $87K or more, a $36K 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a gas plant operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $67K, rent takes 37.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,730/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new gas plant operators typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,089/month. At HUD’s $1,730/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Local pay runs 24% below the national median — $67K here vs. $88K nationally.
How does Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin compare to the national average for gas plant operators?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin pays $67K median vs. the U.S. average of $88K — that’s -24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.34), the purchasing-power equivalent is $70K — below the national median.
How much do gas plant operators make in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN?
The median is $66,970 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,480, and experienced gas plant operators can clear $87,340. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $67K enough to live in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,625/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,730/month, which eats 37.4% 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin has a Regional Price Parity of 96.34 (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 gas plant operators salary is worth about $69,514 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.