Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders pay in California

In California, the median pay for chemical equipment operators and tenders is $28.03 an hour ($58,300 a year). About 5,670 people work in this job there.

$28.03Median hourly pay

$46,990–$72,690Middle half of workers, yearly

5,670People in this job in California

That is about the same as the U.S. median ($58,040). California ranks 22nd of 47 states and territories for this job’s median pay.

Pay range for chemical equipment operators and tenders in California

Earns more than	Hourly	Yearly
10% of workers	$20.27	$42,160
25% of workers	$22.59	$46,990
Half of workers (median)	$28.03	$58,300
75% of workers	$34.95	$72,690
90% of workers	$38.76	$80,620

Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders pay in California metro areas

Metro area	Median yearly pay	People in this job
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont	$71,210	760
Vallejo	$63,790	80
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara	$63,510	260
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad	$61,870	870
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara	$61,770	80
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles	$59,050	40
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim	$55,750	2,030
Modesto	$54,770	50
Santa Rosa-Petaluma	$54,560	70
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura	$51,450	150
Bakersfield-Delano	$51,310	80
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom	$49,820	170
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario	$48,900	400
Stockton-Lodi	$47,520	60
Fresno	$47,280	80
Visalia	$46,640	30

California unemployment rate: 5.1% (August 2026), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education, experience and outlook for chemical equipment operators and tenders

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
Related work experience most have: None (O*NET)
Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
Job outlook: +3.6% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 13,900 openings a year (BLS)

Related jobs in California

Job	Median yearly pay
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$52,910
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators	$81,770
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	$46,760
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers	$103,250
Power Plant Operators	$105,210
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders	$45,150
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders	$45,300
Chemical Plant and System Operators	$87,550

Other job titles for this job

Process Equipment OperatorProcess OperatorChemical OperatorChemical Process OperatorOutside OperatorAcid OperatorAcid PatrollerAcid Polymerization OperatorAcid Purification Equipment OperatorAcid Recovery OperatorAcid Retort OperatorAcid Tender

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.