How much do process technicians make a year?

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Chemical plant and system operators, sometimes called process technicians or operations technicians,operate machines that process chemicals and make sure that they are functioning correctly. Process technicians usually work in factories. This is an entry-level position, and most employers don't require process technicians to have formal education beyond a high school diploma.https://www.fieldengineer.com/blogs/what-does-a-help-desk-technician-do

Average National Pay

As of 2013, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that process technicians earned an average wage of $26.29 per hour and an average salary of $54,690 per year. Half of all process technicians employed in the United States reported annual earnings ranging from $42,290 to $67,790. Nationally, the lowest-paid 10 percent of process technicians made $32,840 or less per year, while the highest-paid 10 percent earned $76,850 or more annually.

Differences in Pay by State

Process technicians tend to make more money in South Central and Mid-Atlantic states and less in the Midwest and certain areas of the South. As of 2013, Texas was the highest-paying state for this occupation, where the average annual salary was $66,420. Louisiana ranked second at $62,640, followed by Delaware at $62,370. The lowest-paying states in the nation were Arkansas ($42,800), South Dakota ($39,670) and Indiana ($36,540).

Salary by Industry Sector

Over a third of all process technicians worked in basic chemical manufacturing as of 2013, where they earned an average salary of $55,980 per year, close to the average for all industry sectors. Some manufacturing sectors tend to pay a bit less, such as pesticide and fertilizer manufacturing ($52,230) and pharmaceutical manufacturing ($52,790). Other industry sectors offered substantially higher wages, such as petroleum and coal products manufacturing ($58,540) and plastics manufacturing ($67,070).

Job Outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 38,300 Americans worked as process technicians in 2012. However, this number is expected to decline substantially as manufacturing declines, and most job opportunities will arise only when current workers retire, says he BLS. While the overall U.S. economy was expected to grow at a rate of 11 percent between 2012 and 2022, the number of chemical systems operator jobs was expected to decline by 11 percent. At this rate, the number of jobs for process technicians is expected to decline by about 4,400 jobs by 2022.