Careers / Power Plant Operators
Power Plant Operators — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$102,040
United States, 2025
Employment
29,320
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Control, operate, or maintain machinery to generate electric power. Includes auxiliary equipment operators.
- O*NET code
- 51-8013.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
Typical tasks
- Operate landfill gas, methane, or natural gas fueled electrical generation systems.
- Prepare and submit compliance, operational, and safety forms or reports.
- Control generator output to match the phase, frequency, or voltage of electricity supplied to panels.
- Take regulatory action, based on readings from charts, meters and gauges, at established intervals.
- Control power generating equipment, including boilers, turbines, generators, or reactors, using control boards or semi-automatic equipment.
- Start or stop generators, auxiliary pumping equipment, turbines, or other power plant equipment as necessary.
- Monitor power plant equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems.
- Operate or maintain distributed power generation equipment, including fuel cells or microturbines, to produce energy on-site for manufacturing or other commercial purposes.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$61,790
25th percentile
$79,690
75th percentile
$119,080
90th percentile
$131,940
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring4.0
- Operation and Control3.9
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Speaking3.4
- Monitoring3.3
- Active Listening3.3
- Complex Problem Solving3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Quality Control Analysis3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Writing3.0
- Coordination3.0
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 15 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
15
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Operation and Control | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.4 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.3 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.3 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Repairing | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Writing | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $61,770
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Compare with Power Plant OperatorsSupplemental
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Compare with Power Plant OperatorsSupplemental
National median $126,060
Compare with Power Plant OperatorsSupplemental
National median $126,060
Compare with Power Plant OperatorsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wenatchee, WA | $145,510 | 70 | 2025 |
| Fresno, CA | $138,930 | 130 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $137,030 | — | 2025 |
| Boise City, ID | $134,050 | 70 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $133,380 | 210 | 2025 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $133,140 | 130 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $132,600 | 300 | 2025 |
| Charlotte, NC | $132,030 | 120 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $131,770 | 1,090 | 2025 |
| WA | $131,620 | 430 | 2025 |
| NV | $131,400 | 250 | 2025 |
| NJ | $131,370 | 300 | 2025 |
| Reno, NV | $129,020 | 60 | 2025 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $126,190 | 100 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $124,950 | 90 | 2025 |
| ID | $124,440 | 310 | 2025 |
| New Haven, CT | $123,840 | 50 | 2025 |
| Chicago, IL | $123,540 | 640 | 2025 |
| ND | $122,160 | 150 | 2025 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $122,020 | 170 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Power Plant Operators to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.