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Plant technician salary
Average plant technician salary
$46,164
Understanding Plant Technician Salaries
As of October 2025, the average plant technician salary in the United States is $46,164 per year. This figure can fluctuate based on various factors, including experience, location, and specific industry demands. For instance, technicians with several years of experience typically earn higher salaries due to their advanced skills and knowledge.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level plant technicians may start with salaries around $30,000 annually, while those with extensive experience can earn upwards of $60,000 or more. Experience not only enhances job prospects but also leads to higher compensation.
Geographical Influence
Location plays a crucial role in determining salary. For example, plant technicians in states like California and Texas often report higher average salaries compared to those in other regions. Urban areas with a high demand for manufacturing professionals tend to offer more competitive wages.
Career Opportunities
Plant technicians can find employment in various sectors, including food processing, pharmaceuticals, and chemical manufacturing. As industries continue to grow, the need for skilled technicians remains strong, providing ample job opportunities across the country.
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Where can a Plant Technician earn more?
Plant technician salaries by experience level
Plant technician salary estimates from across the web
Average plant technician salary by state
The average plant technician salary in Alaska, Washington, and Hawaii are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average plant technician salary states are Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for plant technicians
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $66,436 | $31.94 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | $51,033 | $24.54 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $54,303 | $26.11 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $52,803 | $25.39 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $62,136 | $29.87 |
| 6 | Nevada | $49,536 | $23.82 |
| 7 | Washington | $62,767 | $30.18 |
| 8 | Kentucky | $46,980 | $22.59 |
| 9 | Oregon | $54,860 | $26.38 |
| 10 | Ohio | $47,012 | $22.60 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $52,483 | $25.23 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $49,975 | $24.03 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $48,140 | $23.14 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $51,264 | $24.65 |
| 15 | Iowa | $43,805 | $21.06 |
| 16 | Illinois | $47,020 | $22.61 |
| 17 | Colorado | $46,106 | $22.17 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $54,459 | $26.18 |
| 19 | Utah | $45,091 | $21.68 |
| 20 | Vermont | $45,576 | $21.91 |
| 21 | California | $51,111 | $24.57 |
| 22 | Montana | $47,108 | $22.65 |
| 23 | Indiana | $41,969 | $20.18 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $47,523 | $22.85 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $44,255 | $21.28 |
| 26 | Arizona | $44,919 | $21.60 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $45,441 | $21.85 |
| 28 | Michigan | $43,743 | $21.03 |
| 29 | Virginia | $48,110 | $23.13 |
| 30 | Alabama | $44,212 | $21.26 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $45,802 | $22.02 |
| 32 | New York | $47,462 | $22.82 |
| 33 | Delaware | $46,412 | $22.31 |
| 34 | Maryland | $46,650 | $22.43 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $42,856 | $20.60 |
| 36 | Kansas | $41,962 | $20.17 |
| 37 | Maine | $40,785 | $19.61 |
| 38 | Missouri | $41,924 | $20.16 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $43,418 | $20.87 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $38,860 | $18.68 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $38,759 | $18.63 |
| 42 | Georgia | $39,474 | $18.98 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $37,297 | $17.93 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $36,588 | $17.59 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $40,284 | $19.37 |
| 46 | Idaho | $41,726 | $20.06 |
| 47 | Florida | $36,175 | $17.39 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $39,022 | $18.76 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $38,449 | $18.49 |
| 50 | Texas | $37,276 | $17.92 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $37,041 | $17.81 |
Highest paying cities for plant technicians
The highest-paying cities for plant technicians are Kent, WA, Washington, DC, and Minneapolis, MN.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kent, WA | $63,115 | $30.34 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $54,423 | $26.16 |
| 3 | Minneapolis, MN | $54,314 | $26.11 |
| 4 | Philadelphia, PA | $53,024 | $25.49 |
| 5 | Berkeley, CA | $52,062 | $25.03 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $51,209 | $24.62 |
| 7 | Virginia Beach, VA | $48,096 | $23.12 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $47,634 | $22.90 |
| 9 | North Chicago, IL | $47,400 | $22.79 |
| 10 | Lima, OH | $46,744 | $22.47 |
| 11 | Baltimore, MD | $46,732 | $22.47 |
| 12 | Dover, DE | $46,376 | $22.30 |
| 13 | Colorado Springs, CO | $46,075 | $22.15 |
| 14 | Phoenix, AZ | $45,031 | $21.65 |
| 15 | Decatur, AL | $44,724 | $21.50 |
| 16 | Iowa City, IA | $43,945 | $21.13 |
| 17 | Morgantown, WV | $43,835 | $21.07 |
| 18 | El Paso, TX | $39,420 | $18.95 |
| 19 | Oklahoma City, OK | $38,490 | $18.50 |
| 20 | Charleston, SC | $36,967 | $17.77 |
Plant technician salary details
A plant technician's salary ranges from $31,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $67,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a plant technician's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
| 75th Percentile | $56,000 | $4,667 | $27 |
| Average | $46,164 | $3,847 | $22 |
| 25th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| 10th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
Highest paying plant technician jobs
The highest paying types of plant technicians are electrical maintenance technician, operations and maintenance technician, and maintenance lead technician.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations And Maintenance Technician | $53,680 | $4,473 | $25.81 | 182,405 |
| Service And Repair Technician | $42,099 | $3,508 | $20.24 | 193,706 |
| Equipment Maintenance Technician | $45,945 | $3,829 | $22.09 | 168,523 |
| Electrical Maintenance Technician | $59,898 | $4,991 | $28.80 | 206,538 |
| Preventive Maintenance Technician | $40,935 | $3,411 | $19.68 | 170,517 |
| Industrial Maintenance Technician | $50,649 | $4,221 | $24.35 | 169,569 |
Top companies hiring plant technicians now:
Which companies pay plant technicians the most?
Plant technician salaries at BP America Inc and Energy Northwest are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average plant technician salary at companies like Jacobs Engineering Group and National Grid plc are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BP America Inc | $89,317 | $42.94 |
| 2 | Energy Northwest | $67,693 | $32.54 |
| 3 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $67,425 | $32.42 |
| 4 | National Grid plc | $64,647 | $31.08 |
| 5 | Gillette | $62,147 | $29.88 |
| 6 | Kemp Technologies | $60,433 | $29.05 |
| 7 | Airgas | $60,016 | $28.85 |
| 8 | Coty | $59,677 | $28.69 |
| 9 | Johnson & Johnson | $58,547 | $28.15 |
| 10 | AVANGRID | $57,441 | $27.62 |
| 11 | Praxair | $56,655 | $27.24 |
| 12 | Student Conservation Association | $56,282 | $27.06 |
| 13 | Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs | $55,584 | $26.72 |
| 14 | OHL USA | $54,202 | $26.06 |
| 15 | B&G Foods | $53,798 | $25.86 |
| 16 | J.R. Simplot | $53,683 | $25.81 |
| 17 | Enel Green Power | $52,508 | $25.24 |
| 18 | DTE Energy | $52,191 | $25.09 |
| 19 | Talen Energy | $51,951 | $24.98 |
| 20 | Levi, Ray & Shoup | $51,868 | $24.94 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Plant Technician salary by industry
The average plant technician salary varies across industries:
- The average plant technician salary in the utilities industry is $56,591, the highest of any industry.
- The average plant technician salary in the finance industry is $52,697.
- Plant technicians in the government industry earn an average salary of $43,358, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for plant technicians
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utilities | $56,591 | $27.21 |
| 2 | Energy | $52,697 | $25.34 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $50,548 | $24.30 |
| 4 | Government | $43,358 | $20.85 |
High paying plant technician jobs
Plant technician salary trends
The average plant technician salary has risen by $6,577 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average plant technician earned $39,587 annually, but today, they earn $46,164 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for plant technicians over the last decade.
Compare plant technician salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average plant technician salary over time
Compare plant technician salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Plant technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $46,200 | $22.19 | +4.3% |
| 2024 | $44,200 | $21.23 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | $43,300 | $20.81 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $42,600 | $20.47 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $41,700 | $20.07 | +0.8% |
Recently added plant technician salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joplin Concrete Company | Plant Technician at Joplin Concrete | Joplin, MO | 06/28/2025 | $41,740 |
| American Electric Power | O & M Plant Technician II-O & M Technician SR | Tontitown, AR | 06/27/2025 | $82,103 |
| Conagra | PLC Technician-Bakery Plant | Indianapolis, IN | 06/27/2025 | $78,784 |
| Conagra Foods | PLC Technician-Bakery Plant | Indianapolis, IN | 06/27/2025 | $78,784 |
| Procter & Gamble | P&G Box Elder Plant Technician | Bear River City, UT | 06/25/2025 | $54,825 |
| Linde | Lead Onsite Plant Technician | Ione, CA | 06/24/2025 | $69,750 |
| Belmark Inc. | Ink Technician-Flexible Packaging (PM-2B Shift)-Plant 3 | De Pere, WI | 06/22/2025 | $50,088 |
| Packard Culligan Water | Bottled Water Plant Technician | Burlington, WI | 06/22/2025 | $39,653 |
| Great Basin Institute | Plant Technician (NPS, Mojave National Preserve) | Reno, NV | 06/21/2025 | $51,132 |
| Poet | Plant Technician | Cloverdale, IN | 06/21/2025 | $43,827 |
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