How much do Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders make in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

Percentile spread

For Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders, the published 10th percentile is $36,440 and the 90th percentile is $59,250. The difference is $22,810, which is 50.4% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $39,380 to the 75th at $56,420, covers $17,040.

The mean annual wage is $48,450, which sits above the median of $45,250. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC median is 22% lower than the national median of $58,040 for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders. In 2024 national prices the local median is $51,138, which is 11.9% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 8.9% lower than the North Carolina median of $49,650.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC is 88.486, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $45,250 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders at $51,138 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

19 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders. Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC ranks 19th of 20 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC is 58 miles away, with a median of $57,110 and employment of 1,520. That median is 26.2% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $58,666, against $51,138 here.
• Winston-Salem, NC is 65 miles away, with a median of $46,980 and employment of 130. That median is 3.8% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $51,041, against $51,138 here.
• Spartanburg, SC is 71 miles away, with a median of $58,170 and employment of 430. That median is 28.6% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $63,887, against $51,138 here.