Salary guide, May 2025
GMP Manufacturing Technician 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 Equipment Operators and Tenders in the United States was $58,040 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $45,970 and $74,080.
Also searched as: Manufacturing Associate, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Technician, Production Operator (GMP), Solid Dose Operator. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Closest proxy · SOC 51-9011 Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
GMP Manufacturing Technician is shown within the broader published occupation. BLS does not separate this plant-specific title, seniority, shift, process or credential. Compare the duties with the SOC definition before using the range.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $37,440 | $45,970 | $58,040 | $74,080 | $92,250 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $18.00 | $22.10 | $27.90 | $35.62 | $44.35 |
BLS estimated 139,630 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-9011 Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders, 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 | $37,900 | $36,400 to $47,480 | 1,050 | 0.41 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $44,560 | $36,180 to $52,570 | 900 | 0.69 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $44,700 | $37,090 to $48,220 | 350 | 0.28 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $60,440 | $49,600 to $64,240 | 350 | 0.53 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $54,790 | $46,120 to $66,530 | 8,060 | 0.95 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $54,790 | $46,120 to $66,530 | 8,060 | 0.95 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $47,230 | $37,440 to $61,620 | 3,640 | 1 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $61,250 | $46,940 to $79,390 | 4,510 | 1.11 |
Rank every metro for GMP Manufacturing Technician
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$98,320
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$62,500
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$61,830
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$59,080
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$58,330
- Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$57,020
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$54,300
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$51,580
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$49,880
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$49,660
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$49,440
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$49,270
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$45,930
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 134,210 | $46,130 | $58,420 | $74,310 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 124,330 | $45,980 | $58,330 | $74,310 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 71,950 | $47,790 | $61,600 | $80,330 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 32,560 | $44,060 | $49,820 | $61,990 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 19,830 | $42,200 | $48,550 | $59,810 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,060 | $83,590 | $98,320 | $100,050 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,060 | $83,590 | $98,320 | $100,050 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 1,630 | $45,880 | $57,020 | $66,230 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 1,570 | $51,850 | $62,500 | $71,750 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 1,350 | $48,060 | $59,080 | $64,790 |
| 322100 · 4-digit | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 1,180 | $55,760 | $64,430 | $74,820 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 1,100 | $46,190 | $60,160 | $66,230 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 690 | $46,070 | $49,880 | $60,290 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 620 | $43,360 | $45,930 | $54,910 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 610 | $47,680 | $61,830 | $73,760 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 600 | $54,340 | $62,360 | $67,650 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 540 | $45,880 | $51,680 | $62,000 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 530 | $46,180 | $49,440 | $58,880 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 470 | $46,380 | $49,440 | $58,880 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 440 | $48,080 | $50,070 | $62,540 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 440 | $45,660 | $49,270 | $61,180 |
| 331500 · 4-digit | Foundries | 400 | $46,140 | $51,530 | $59,080 |
| 322200 · 4-digit | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 390 | $47,660 | $55,580 | $62,950 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 360 | $58,320 | $64,020 | $73,760 |
| 331300 · 4-digit | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 330 | $44,220 | $48,780 | $68,230 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 320 | $49,260 | $50,020 | $61,180 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 140 | $52,410 | $54,300 | $68,410 |
| 334100 · 4-digit | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 140 | $42,630 | $46,110 | $46,110 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 130 | $47,660 | $49,660 | $62,650 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 130 | $47,660 | $49,660 | $62,650 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 120 | $46,470 | $47,270 | $49,140 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 120 | $56,050 | $71,880 | $85,550 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 110 | $52,990 | $59,480 | $83,860 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 90 | $41,800 | $47,630 | $49,240 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 60 | $47,400 | $51,580 | $59,600 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 50 | $47,400 | $52,780 | $59,600 |
| 311400 · 4-digit | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 40 | $79,390 | $83,490 | $90,780 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 30 | $45,860 | $47,660 | $48,750 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | Not published by BLS | $43,140 | $43,360 | $46,300 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For GMP Manufacturing Technician, write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
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 | $45,660 | $57,090 | $71,400 |
| May 2025 | $45,970 | $58,040 | $74,080 |
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 aseptic gowning and behavior?
For sterile areas, gowning qualification and aseptic behavior matter. We ask whether the person is currently qualified, in what grade of room and how they handled interventions. Aseptic Fill Operators should describe movement and discipline in precise terms.
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 GMP Manufacturing Technician?
The median annual wage for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders in the United States was $58,040 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $45,970 and $74,080. This is the closest proxy BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $37,440. 90% earned less than $92,250.
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 GMP Manufacturing Technician at a plant?
GMP Manufacturing Technician is shown within the broader published occupation. BLS does not separate this plant-specific title, seniority, shift, process or credential. Compare the duties with the SOC definition before using the range. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 139,630 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
Manufacturing Headhunters evaluates the GMP Manufacturing Technician, which corresponds to SOC 51-9011 for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders. For GMP Manufacturing Technician in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $58,040; the May 2024 median is $57,090. Their arithmetic difference is $950.
They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. This role involves strict adherence to cGMP documentation, granulation, compression, and fill-finish equipment operation. Because this is a broad occupational classification, the data does not specifically separate high-compliance GMP roles from other general chemical equipment operations.
The national P25 to P75 middle-band width is $28,110. Within industries, Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing reports a national median of $98,320, significantly higher than the overall occupational median. This demonstrates that pay for equipment operators is heavily dependent on the industry's risk profile and the regulatory environment, with pharmaceutical and chemical production settings often commanding higher wages than the baseline for the entire SOC.
Regional analysis reveals that the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, metro area has a median of $79,430 and a location quotient of 3.18. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, metro area reports a median of $54,790 with a location quotient of 0.95. These figures reflect distinct regional labor markets, where high location quotients illustrate significant employment clusters rather than direct wage availability or skill-based pay differences.
For GMP Manufacturing Technician in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded. As the BLS code is broad, it aggregates varying equipment complexities and seniority levels into one dataset. Managers should view the national medians as a starting point and acknowledge that GMP-certified technical skills, particularly in highly regulated dosage-form environments, often warrant pay that deviates from the aggregate occupation mean.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
For GMP Manufacturing Technician in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $58,040; the May 2024 median is $57,090. Their arithmetic difference is $950. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
What is the P25/P75 middle-band width for this occupation?
The national middle-band width for this occupation is $28,110. This is the difference between the 25th percentile ($45,970) and the 75th percentile ($74,080).
How did the median annual wage change over the last year?
For GMP Manufacturing Technician in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $58,040; the May 2024 median is $57,090. Their arithmetic difference is $950. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
Does the Houston location quotient mean more pay is required?
No: The location quotient measures the concentration of employment compared to the national average. It describes the industrial profile of the area rather than setting wage mandates.
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