Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders Salary in Washington
SOC 51-9011 · Washington · BLS OEWS May 2025
Median Annual Salary
$67,309
$32.36/hr
16% higher than the US national median ($58,032)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Is this a competitive Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders salary in Washington in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS September 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q3 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$46K
P25$52K
P50$67K
P75$78K
P90$97K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
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Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- manufacturing openings are at 4.4% (JOLTS, September 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
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Merit budget: Wages in manufacturing are rising about 3.1% a year (BLS ECI, Q3 2026). Budget a 2.7-3.2% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $67,309 to $78,478 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 1.6% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.1% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · MODERATE
Manufacturing is running a 4.4% job-openings rate with quits at 1.6% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 3.8% to 4.4% over the past quarter.
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 2.5 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.
What changed recently
Nov 3, 2026JOLTS September 2026: sector openings rose to 4.4% (up 54K), with durable goods at 4.9%. Quits held at 1.6% and layoffs stayed low at 0.8%.
Oct 30, 2026ECI Q3 2026: manufacturing wages rose 3.1% over the year, down from 3.3% in Q2.
Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: sector openings eased to 4.0% (down 54K) after July's durable-goods jump, which held at 4.4% on revision. Quits rose to 1.6%, led by nondurable goods.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS September 2026, ECI Q3 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The median salary for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders in Washington is $67,309 per year ($32.36/hr). This is 16% higher than the national median of $58,032.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Operate or tend equipment to control chemical changes or reactions in the processing of industrial or consumer products. Equipment used includes devulcanizers, steam-jacketed kettles, and reactor vessels.
Wage Percentiles: Washington
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$22.32
$46,426
+24.0%
P25
$25.09
$52,187
+13.5%
P50MEDIAN
$32.36
$67,309
+16.0%
P75
$37.73
$78,478
+5.9%
P90Top earners
$46.70
$97,136
+5.3%
How Washington compares for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
Computed from this state's own BLS distribution against national
Pay for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders in Washington sits above the national range at every level: +24.0% at entry, +16.0% at the median and +5.3% at the top. The gap is larger at entry than at the top.
An offer at the national median of $58,032 would sit at about the 35th percentile in Washington.
The top of the range earns 2.09 times the bottom here against 2.46 times nationally, so pay for this role is more compressed between entry and senior levels in Washington.
Washington employs 1,720 people in this role, 1.2% of the national total.
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P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
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Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+3.3%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
14K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
129K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
3% from new growth97% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)
NAICS 3250A1
72K
$61,600
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing
NAICS 325400
33K
$49,820
Wage range across top 5 industries: $49,820 to $61,600 (24% spread)
See the complete picture
Full percentile breakdown · JOLTS market signals · Geographic comparison · AI analyst briefs
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median chemical equipment operators and tenders salary in Washington?
The median (P50) annual salary for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders in Washington is approximately $67,309, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 16% higher than the national median of $58,032. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
