Pay by state · 43 states
Gas Plant Operator Salary by State (2026)
Gas Plant Operators earn the most in California at $130,220 a year and the least in Kentucky at $63,070 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $87,820. All 43 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $130,220California
- National median
- $87,820BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $63,070Kentucky
- States reporting
- 43of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Gas Plant Operator salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of gas plant operators OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CACalifornia | $130,220 | $104,100 | $134,800 | 800 | $117,612 |
| 2 | NJNew Jersey | $110,900 | $104,410 | $123,750 | 190 | $101,925 |
| 3 | OROregon | $109,760 | $102,110 | $118,640 | 70 | $106,191 |
| 4 | CTConnecticut | $109,060 | $92,070 | $110,880 | N/A | $105,260 |
| 5 | LALouisiana | $108,350 | $73,230 | $108,350 | 800 | $122,836 |
| 6 | AZArizona | $104,600 | $92,920 | $112,510 | 140 | $103,897 |
| 7 | MAMassachusetts | $103,830 | $98,880 | $111,010 | 340 | $98,178 |
| 8 | MDMaryland | $102,950 | $86,520 | $107,940 | 180 | $98,086 |
| 9 | SDSouth Dakota | $101,450 | $99,780 | $101,450 | 90 | $114,521 |
| 10 | ARArkansas | $100,870 | $82,990 | $100,870 | 400 | $116,027 |
| 11 | MIMichigan | $100,500 | $97,110 | $109,530 | 540 | $104,451 |
| 12 | MNMinnesota | $100,500 | $82,570 | $100,550 | 360 | $101,905 |
| 13 | NYNew York | $98,390 | $80,180 | $118,860 | 240 | $91,169 |
| 14 | UTUtah | $98,300 | $83,800 | $100,810 | 160 | $99,430 |
| 15 | COColorado | $98,080 | $85,070 | $100,200 | 570 | $95,175 |
| 16 | ILIllinois | $97,810 | $74,420 | $105,930 | 530 | $97,851 |
| 17 | NMNew Mexico | $97,660 | $82,010 | $100,010 | 300 | $105,908 |
| 18 | NDNorth Dakota | $96,760 | $76,590 | $116,290 | 770 | $108,769 |
| 19 | MEMaine | $93,990 | $82,100 | $100,920 | 30 | $96,847 |
| 20 | IAIowa | $92,970 | $82,510 | $96,800 | 480 | $105,934 |
| 21 | MOMissouri | $87,820 | $87,820 | $87,820 | 220 | $96,700 |
| 22 | NENebraska | $87,790 | $84,350 | $91,320 | 270 | $97,433 |
| 23 | VAVirginia | $86,500 | $80,860 | $99,720 | 400 | $85,555 |
| 24 | INIndiana | $85,790 | $78,530 | $91,980 | 280 | $91,922 |
| 25 | WIWisconsin | $85,080 | $68,060 | $96,680 | 150 | $90,419 |
| 26 | WAWashington | $83,650 | $53,060 | $108,610 | 120 | $78,168 |
| 27 | MTMontana | $83,630 | $67,590 | $100,490 | 70 | $88,362 |
| 28 | WVWest Virginia | $82,600 | $70,950 | $90,140 | 420 | $92,294 |
| 29 | OHOhio | $82,130 | $61,310 | $96,620 | 570 | $88,527 |
| 30 | MSMississippi | $81,600 | $77,540 | $82,700 | 340 | $93,844 |
| 31 | WYWyoming | $81,550 | $75,500 | $100,180 | 480 | $87,980 |
| 32 | NCNorth Carolina | $81,460 | $71,200 | $103,580 | 320 | $86,360 |
| 33 | GAGeorgia | $81,220 | $50,520 | $106,000 | 110 | $84,347 |
| 34 | PAPennsylvania | $80,810 | $76,550 | $95,720 | 1,370 | $82,821 |
| 35 | KSKansas | $80,760 | $76,150 | $88,720 | 350 | $89,666 |
| 36 | TXTexas | $79,910 | $77,640 | $94,360 | 2,550 | $82,333 |
| 37 | IDIdaho | $79,280 | $76,290 | $93,530 | 50 | $83,021 |
| 38 | OKOklahoma | $78,310 | $64,190 | $86,310 | 970 | $89,148 |
| 39 | ALAlabama | $77,120 | $64,750 | $82,880 | N/A | $86,824 |
| 40 | SCSouth Carolina | $67,580 | $51,340 | $84,270 | 280 | $72,086 |
| 41 | FLFlorida | $67,170 | $57,240 | $76,450 | 130 | $64,953 |
| 42 | TNTennessee | $66,560 | $64,980 | $69,670 | 200 | $72,450 |
| 43 | KYKentucky | $63,070 | $50,360 | $81,640 | 200 | $69,954 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Gas Plant Operators, that changes the ranking: California leads on raw pay at $130,220, while Louisiana leads once prices are taken into account at $122,836.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Gas Plant Operator pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Gas Plant Operators the most?
California reports the highest median wage for Gas Plant Operators at $130,220 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by New Jersey ($110,900) and Oregon ($109,760).
Which state pays Gas Plant Operators the least?
Kentucky reports the lowest median for Gas Plant Operators at $63,070 a year, $67,150 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Gas Plant Operators earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Louisiana first at $122,836 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $108,350. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.