Plant and System Operators, All Other Salary
The median pay for a plant and system operators, all other in New Orleans-Metairie, LA is $49,000/year ($23.56/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $84K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.6), which stretches that salary to about $52,916 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,331/month, about 39.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $49K actually covers in New Orleans-Metairie, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by New Orleans-Metairie’s Regional Price Parity (92.6). 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 New Orleans-Metairie
Pay for plant and system operators, all other in New Orleans-Metairie runs about 22% below the U.S. median of $62K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,331/month, which is 40% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.6 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for plant and system operators, all other.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for plant and system operators, all others in metros near New Orleans-Metairie, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Gulfport-Biloxi | $77K | $86K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $51K | $49K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $53K | $54K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $51K | $54K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New Orleans-Metairie, LA
Entry-level plant and system operators, all others (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $84K or more, a $48K 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 with published data
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 annually. We'll email you when New Orleans-Metairie numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a plant and system operators, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in New Orleans-Metairie?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 40% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,331/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 New Orleans-Metairie?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new plant and system operators, all others typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,506/month. At HUD’s $1,331/month FMR, rent would take 53% 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 New Orleans-Metairie?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $49K here vs. $62K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does New Orleans-Metairie compare to the national average for plant and system operators, all others?
New Orleans-Metairie pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.6), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — below the national median.
How much do plant and system operators, all others make in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?
The median is $49,000 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,210, and experienced plant and system operators, all others can clear $83,760. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in New Orleans-Metairie?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,325/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,331/month, which eats 40% 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 New Orleans-Metairie?
New Orleans-Metairie has a Regional Price Parity of 92.6 (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 $52,916 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.