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Job outlook for plant operators in the United States
Plant operator job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected plant operator job growth rate is -7% from 2018-2028.
About -8,600 new jobs for plant operators are projected over the next decade.
Plant operator salaries have increased 7% for plant operators in the last 5 years.
There are over 48,338 plant operators currently employed in the United States.
There are 43,388 active plant operator job openings in the US.
The average plant operator salary is $42,697.
Are plant operator jobs in demand?
No, plant operator jobs are not in demand. Plant operator demand is projected to decline -7% from 2018 to 2028.
Plant operator job and salary trends over time
Compare the number of plant operator jobs and the average plant operator salary over time.
Plant operator jobs over time
Plant operator job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 48,338 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 48,438 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 49,282 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 49,306 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 47,825 | 0.01% |
Average plant operator salary over time
Plant operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $42,697 | $20.53 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $41,540 | $19.97 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | $40,688 | $19.56 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $40,140 | $19.30 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $39,800 | $19.13 | +2.2% |
Plant operator jobs by state
The map below shows you the number of plant operator job openings in each state. The darker areas on the map show where plant operators earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average salary: Job openings:
Most common states for plant operators
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,272 | 19% |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 129 | 19% |
| 3 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 158 | 15% |
| 4 | Alaska | 739,795 | 96 | 13% |
| 5 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 934 | 10% |
| 6 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 111 | 8% |
| 7 | Vermont | 623,657 | 50 | 8% |
| 8 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 44 | 8% |
| 9 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 71 | 7% |
| 10 | Delaware | 961,939 | 64 | 7% |
| 11 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 58 | 7% |
| 12 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 202 | 6% |
| 13 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 65 | 5% |
| 14 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 40 | 5% |
| 15 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 279 | 4% |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 254 | 4% |
| 17 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 225 | 4% |
| 18 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 114 | 4% |
| 19 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 80 | 4% |
| 20 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 66 | 4% |
Most common cities for plant operators
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taunton | 5 | 9% | $48,853 |
| 2 | Wilmington | 4 | 6% | $49,196 |
| 3 | Middletown | 3 | 6% | $41,595 |
| 4 | Ankeny | 2 | 3% | $41,362 |
| 5 | Broomfield | 2 | 3% | $47,523 |
| 6 | Atlanta | 8 | 2% | $31,959 |
| 7 | Fort Wayne | 4 | 2% | $42,834 |
| 8 | Salt Lake City | 3 | 2% | $43,313 |
| 9 | Gilbert | 3 | 1% | $46,370 |
| 10 | Bakersfield | 2 | 1% | $57,705 |
| 11 | Indianapolis | 4 | 0% | $41,536 |
| 12 | Jacksonville | 4 | 0% | $36,287 |
| 13 | Denver | 3 | 0% | $47,387 |