Plant and System Operators, All Other Salary
The median pay for a plant and system operators, all other in St. Louis, MO-IL is $69,910/year ($33.61/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.09), that's roughly $73,520 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,218/month, or 26.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $70K get you in St. Louis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by St. Louis’s Regional Price Parity (95.09). 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 St. Louis
St. Louis sits well above the national pay line for plant and system operators, all other, local pay runs about 12% higher than the U.S. median of $62K. Rent runs $1,218/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 26.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 95.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for plant and system operators, all others in metros near St. Louis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $81K | $78K |
| Tulsa | $69K | $77K |
| Knoxville | $55K | $59K |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway | $48K | $54K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, St. Louis, MO-IL
Entry-level plant and system operators, all others (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $70K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $27K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a plant and system operators, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in St. Louis?
Yes — at the median salary of $70K, rent takes 26.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,218/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for plant and system operators, all others in St. Louis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new plant and system operators, all others typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,055/month. At HUD’s $1,218/month FMR, rent would take 40% 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 St. Louis?
Local pay is 12% above the national median — $70K here vs. $62K nationally.
How does St. Louis compare to the national average for plant and system operators, all others?
St. Louis pays $70K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $74K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do plant and system operators, all others make in St. Louis, MO-IL?
The median is $69,910 a year, that works out to about $34 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $50,910, and experienced plant and system operators, all others can clear $77,780. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $70K enough to live in St. Louis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,585/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,218/month, which eats 26.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a plant and system operators, all other salary go in St. Louis?
St. Louis has a Regional Price Parity of 95.09 (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 $73,520 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.