Salary guide, May 2025
Control Room (DCS) Operator pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Chemical Plant and System Operators in the United States was $78,120 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $60,330 and $98,660.
Direct match · SOC 51-8091 Chemical Plant and System Operators
The Control Room (DCS) Operator title maps to the published occupation. The duties align, but BLS combines employers and industries.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $48,400 | $60,330 | $78,120 | $98,660 | $111,930 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $23.27 | $29.01 | $37.56 | $47.44 | $53.81 |
BLS estimated 16,610 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-8091 Chemical Plant and System Operators, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Not published by BLS for this area. National figures above apply. | |||
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | Not published by BLS for this area. National figures above apply. | |||
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | Not published by BLS for this area. National figures above apply. | |||
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | Not published by BLS for this area. National figures above apply. | |||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $90,470 | $80,380 to $91,360 | 200 | 0.2 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $90,470 | $80,380 to $91,360 | 200 | 0.2 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Not published by BLS for this area. National figures above apply. | |||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $65,750 | $57,860 to $74,770 | 110 | 0.23 |
Rank every metro for Control Room (DCS) Operator
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$110,120 Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$110,120 Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)$82,200 Manufacturing$80,420 Chemical Manufacturing$80,350 Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only)$79,260 Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing$72,180 Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing$72,180 Food Manufacturing$67,780 Primary Metal Manufacturing$64,360 Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing$58,150
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels.
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$110,120
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$110,120
- Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)$82,200
- Manufacturing$80,420
- Chemical Manufacturing$80,350
- Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only)$79,260
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing$72,180
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing$72,180
- Food Manufacturing$67,780
- Primary Metal Manufacturing$64,360
- Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing$58,150
Bars show up to 15 industries with exact annual medians. The table lists every published industry.
| NAICS | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 14,510 | $62,160 | $80,420 | $101,100 |
| 325000 | Chemical Manufacturing | 13,380 | $61,410 | $80,350 | $100,460 |
| 3250A1 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 11,340 | $63,460 | $82,200 | $103,950 |
| 325400 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 1,410 | $51,310 | $58,150 | $65,750 |
| 3250A2 | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 630 | $57,130 | $79,260 | $90,210 |
| 324000 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 570 | $97,280 | $110,120 | $111,930 |
| 324100 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 570 | $97,280 | $110,120 | $111,930 |
| 331000 | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 300 | $64,260 | $64,360 | $65,350 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 160 | $59,820 | $72,180 | $94,880 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 160 | $59,820 | $72,180 | $94,880 |
| 311000 | Food Manufacturing | 30 | $67,210 | $67,780 | $75,290 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Control Room (DCS) Operator, write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. OEWS includes base rate, guaranteed pay and production incentive pay. It excludes overtime premium, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure.
Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $57,080 | $73,540 | $98,050 |
| May 2025 | $60,330 | $78,120 | $98,660 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
What should you know about supervisory and worker occupations?
BLS publishes these as separate occupations. Pay for one is not a pay step for the other.
- Supervisor occupation: Production Supervisor pay (SOC 51-1011)
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about an interview based on the work?
Build the interview around process monitoring and response through the distributed control system. Those limits help establish control-room authority and field coordination rather than screen familiarity alone; they are part of competence, not a weakness to talk around.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Control Room (DCS) Operator?
The median annual wage for Chemical Plant and System Operators in the United States was $78,120 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $60,330 and $98,660.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $48,400. 90% earned less than $111,930.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Control Room (DCS) Operator at a plant?
The Control Room (DCS) Operator title maps to the published occupation. The duties align, but BLS combines employers and industries. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 16,610 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
Control Room DCS Operators align directly with the SOC 51-8091 occupation, defined as Chemical Plant and System Operators. The national median salary as of May 2025 is $78,120. This indicates an increase of $4,580 over the previous median of $73,540 recorded in May 2024.
The middle band width for this occupation is $38,330, based on a P25 of $60,330 and a P75 of $98,660. Manufacturing Headhunters notes that this specific alignment allows for a more accurate reflection of operator wages compared to broader catch-all production categories.
National industry statistics provide deeper insight into sector pay levels. Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (both 324000 and 324100) report a median of $110,120, while Chemical Manufacturing (selected sub-sectors) reports $82,200. These figures demonstrate a significant wage premium associated with higher-risk petrochemical environments. It is essential to remember that BLS data excludes common industry pay drivers like shift differentials, on-call premiums, and comprehensive benefit packages. The wage data is strictly limited to annual base reporting and does not incorporate the impact of specialized control-room expertise.
Data from the highest-employment metros shows significant regional variances. The Baton Rouge, LA, metro reports a median of $104,410 with a middle band width of $13,470, while Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, reports a median of $106,020 with a middle band width of $40,380. The location quotient in Baton Rouge is 39.39 and 4.05 in Houston, demonstrating an intense concentration of this specific operational role in these corridors. These metrics are strictly reflective of the published SOC definition. While DCS operators perform remote process control, the BLS figures capture all system operators in these plants, regardless of the individual's specific field-coordination authority.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Why is there such a large range between the P25 and P75 percentiles?
The middle band width of $38,330 reflects the diverse nature of chemical processing environments and the varying seniority levels within the SOC 51-8091 category. These variations often stem from different plant scales and operational risks.
Does the Baton Rouge median pay include the shift premiums common for this role?
No, the OEWS data specifically excludes shift differentials and all variable bonuses. The median represents only the annual base salary reported for these system operators.
Is the location quotient related to the availability of candidates in these metros?
No, the location quotient measures the concentration of employment compared to the national average. It signifies regional density, not the depth of available talent or specific candidate pools.
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