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This question is about what a plant operator does, plant operator, and plant operator salaries.
Do plant operators make good money?
No, plant operators do not make good money. The average plant operator earns $38,000 a year, with the top earners averaging between $60,000 and $80,000 a year.
There are some companies and industries that pay plant operators better than others. A Marathon petroleum plant operator, for example, averages $80,084 a year (range: $43K - $91K), which is 71% higher than the national average.
Plant operators with more managerial positions also tend to earn good money. A senior operator, for example, averages $49,309 a year, and a principal operator averages $60,336 a year. Also, the state in which you work plays a role in how much a Plant operator earns.
Plant operators working in California, for example, earn the most money averaging $57,446 a year, while those working in Alaska and Iowa average just over $50,000 a year. Compare that to other states such as Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri, Nebraska, and Tennessee, where a plant operator earns less than $30,000 a year.
Another factor in determining the pay rate is the industry you work for. Plant operators in manufacturing earn around $5,000 more than plant operators in construction. Overall, operators working in plants for petroleum, power plants, and chemicals (e.g., Dow) earn the most money.
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