All About Gas Plant Operators
Job Description: Distribute or process gas for utility companies and others by controlling compressors to maintain specified pressures on main pipelines.
Life As a Gas Plant Operator
- Control fractioning columns, compressors, purifying towers, heat exchangers, and related equipment to extract nitrogen and oxygen from air.
- Adjust temperature, pressure, vacuum, level, flow rate, or transfer of gas to maintain processes at required levels or to correct problems.
- Contact maintenance crews when necessary.
- Collaborate with other operators to solve unit problems.
- Read logsheets to determine product demand and disposition, or to detect malfunctions.
- Monitor equipment functioning, observe temperature, level, and flow gauges, and perform regular unit checks to ensure that all equipment is operating as it should.
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Gas Plant Operator Needed Skills
Gas Plant Operators state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Types of Gas Plant Operator
- Gas Treater
- Natural Gas Plant Technician
- Oil and Gas Specialist
- Bulk Gas Specialist
- Oxygen Plant Operator
Gas Plant Operator Job Outlook
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 17,300 jobs in the United States for Gas Plant Operator. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Gas Plant Operator. There will be an estimated 1,700 positions for Gas Plant Operator per year.

The states with the most job growth for Gas Plant Operator are Washington, Wyoming, and North Dakota. Watch out if you plan on working in Delaware, Wisconsin, or Kentucky. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Gas Plant Operator
The typical yearly salary for Gas Plant Operators is somewhere between $45,830 and $100,410.

Gas Plant Operators who work in California, Massachusetts, or North Dakota, make the highest salaries.
How much do Gas Plant Operators make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $70,950 |
Alaska | $63,430 |
Arizona | $62,000 |
Arkansas | $66,620 |
California | $101,610 |
Colorado | $70,260 |
Florida | $50,660 |
Georgia | $59,900 |
Illinois | $74,590 |
Indiana | $68,580 |
Iowa | $54,440 |
Kansas | $67,660 |
Kentucky | $68,240 |
Louisiana | $68,370 |
Maryland | $81,460 |
Massachusetts | $85,470 |
Michigan | $76,690 |
Minnesota | $72,810 |
Mississippi | $60,460 |
Missouri | $73,370 |
Montana | $70,400 |
Nebraska | $61,120 |
New Hampshire | $69,370 |
New Jersey | $75,150 |
New Mexico | $61,910 |
New York | $77,460 |
North Carolina | $61,280 |
North Dakota | $85,740 |
Ohio | $68,680 |
Oklahoma | $64,560 |
Oregon | $75,560 |
Pennsylvania | $67,210 |
South Carolina | $53,070 |
Tennessee | $56,170 |
Texas | $68,690 |
Utah | $68,550 |
Virginia | $63,950 |
Washington | $82,790 |
West Virginia | $70,730 |
Wyoming | $73,870 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Gas Plant Operators
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Gas Plant Operators:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- SAP
- Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
- Work scheduling software
How do I Become a Gas Plant Operator?
What education is needed to be a Gas Plant Operator?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Gas Plant Operator?

Where do Gas Plant Operators Work?

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Related Careers
Those thinking about becoming a Gas Plant Operator might also be interested in the following careers:
Career changers with experience as a Gas Plant Operator sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
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