How much does a gas plant operator make?

The median pay is $42.22 per hour — roughly $88,000 a year, with the real range running from about $29.50/hr (10th percentile) to $55.54/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a gas plant operator?

The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

What does a gas plant operator actually do all day?

Monitor equipment functioning, observe temperature, level, and flow gauges, and perform regular unit checks to ensure that all equipment is operating as it should. Distribute or process gas for utility companies or industrial plants, using panel boards, control boards, and semi-automatic equipment. Control operation of compressors, scrubbers, evaporators, and refrigeration equipment to liquefy, compress, or regasify natural gas.

Manufacturing & Production

Gas Plant Operators

Distribute or process gas for utility companies and others by controlling compressors to maintain specified pressures on main pipelines.

What it pays
Gas Plant Operators earn a median of $42.22/hr — about $88,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $29.50/hr; the top 10% earn $55.54/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

Monitor equipment functioning, observe temperature, level, and flow gauges, and perform regular unit checks to ensure that all equipment is operating as it should.
Distribute or process gas for utility companies or industrial plants, using panel boards, control boards, and semi-automatic equipment.
Control operation of compressors, scrubbers, evaporators, and refrigeration equipment to liquefy, compress, or regasify natural gas.
Control equipment to regulate flow and pressure of gas to feedlines of boilers, furnaces, and related steam-generating or heating equipment.
Record, review, and compile operations records, test results, and gauge readings such as temperatures, pressures, concentrations, and flows.
Determine causes of abnormal pressure variances, and make corrective recommendations, such as installation of pipes to relieve overloading.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the work happens outdoors; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 0% of gas plant operators are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.

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Quick questions

How much does a gas plant operator make?: The median pay is $42.22 per hour — roughly $88,000 a year, with the real range running from about $29.50/hr (10th percentile) to $55.54/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a gas plant operator?: The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
What does a gas plant operator actually do all day?: Monitor equipment functioning, observe temperature, level, and flow gauges, and perform regular unit checks to ensure that all equipment is operating as it should. Distribute or process gas for utility companies or industrial plants, using panel boards, control boards, and semi-automatic equipment. Control operation of compressors, scrubbers, evaporators, and refrigeration equipment to liquefy, compress, or regasify natural gas.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.