Plant and System Operators, All Other Salary
The median pay for a plant and system operators, all other in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ is $43,130/year ($20.74/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.97), that's roughly $43,143 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,634/month, about 54.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $43K get you in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton’s Regional Price Parity (99.97). 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 plant and system operators, all others
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What this looks like in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton
Pay for plant and system operators, all other in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton runs about 31% below the U.S. median of $62K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,634/month, which is 55.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 99.97) 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 plant and system operators, all others.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for plant and system operators, all others in metros near Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | $51K | $54K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $68K | $66K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $79K | $70K |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $78K | $75K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
Entry-level plant and system operators, all others (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $43K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $33K spread from bottom to top.
Plant and System Operators, All Other pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Plant and System Operators, All Other salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $121K | +93% | 40 |
| Washington | $89K | +42% | 190 |
| Minnesota | $88K | +41% | 200 |
| Maryland | $82K | +31% | 270 |
| Montana | $81K | +30% | 170 |
| Nevada | $80K | +28% | 150 |
| California | $78K | +25% | 1,560 |
| Illinois | $78K | +25% | 230 |
| Iowa | $76K | +21% | 50 |
| New York | $75K | +20% | 310 |
| Oklahoma | $74K | +19% | 80 |
| Kansas | $74K | +19% | 60 |
| Oregon | $72K | +15% | 140 |
| West Virginia | $71K | +13% | 120 |
| Indiana | $70K | +13% | 280 |
| New Jersey | $70K | +12% | 290 |
| Kentucky | $69K | +11% | 30 |
| Arizona | $69K | +11% | 150 |
| Connecticut | $69K | +10% | 100 |
| Utah | $68K | +9% | 180 |
| Wyoming | $67K | +7% | 90 |
| Mississippi | $65K | +4% | 140 |
| Michigan | $65K | +4% | 250 |
| Ohio | $64K | +3% | 340 |
| New Hampshire | $64K | +2% | 120 |
| Wisconsin | $63K | +1% | 160 |
| Louisiana | $63K | +0% | 350 |
| Maine | $62K | -0% | 110 |
| Virginia | $62K | -1% | 180 |
| Idaho | $62K | -1% | 40 |
| North Carolina | $61K | -2% | 220 |
| Tennessee | $60K | -4% | 150 |
| South Dakota | $57K | -8% | 190 |
| South Carolina | $56K | -10% | 150 |
| New Mexico | $56K | -11% | 120 |
| Alabama | $52K | -17% | 30 |
| Colorado | $52K | -17% | 1,050 |
| Missouri | $52K | -17% | 380 |
| Florida | $51K | -19% | 590 |
| Pennsylvania | $51K | -19% | 620 |
| Texas | $51K | -19% | 3,570 |
| Nebraska | $48K | -23% | 70 |
| Arkansas | $46K | -26% | 120 |
| Georgia | $45K | -28% | 240 |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track plant and system operators, all other salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a plant and system operators, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $43K, rent takes 55.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,634/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for plant and system operators, all others in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new plant and system operators, all others typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,588/month. At HUD’s $1,634/month FMR, rent would take 63% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is plant and system operators, all other a high-paying job in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
Local pay runs 31% below the national median — $43K here vs. $62K nationally.
How does Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton compare to the national average for plant and system operators, all others?
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton pays $43K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -31%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — below the national median.
How much do plant and system operators, all others make in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ?
The median is $43,130 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,130, and experienced plant and system operators, all others can clear $76,320. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $43K enough to live in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,948/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,634/month, which eats 55.4% 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 plant and system operators, all other salary go in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton has a Regional Price Parity of 99.97 (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 plant and system operators, all other salary is worth about $43,143 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do plant and system operators, all others 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.