Power Plant Operator Salary in the U.S.
Median annual pay in the U.S.
$102,040
$49.06/hour
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Pay
| Annual | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $61,790 | $29.71 |
| 25th percentile | $79,690 | $38.31 |
| Median | $102,040 | $49.06 |
| 75th percentile | $119,080 | $57.25 |
| 90th percentile | $131,940 | $63.44 |
Employment
- Employment in the U.S.
- 29,320
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Comparison
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
| Rank | Median annual pay | Adjusted for cost of living (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | ||
| 1st | $131,620 | $122,994 5th |
| Nevada | ||
| 2nd | $131,400 | $131,428 2nd |
| New Jersey | ||
| 3rd | $131,370 | $120,739 6th |
| Idaho | ||
| 4th | $124,440 | $130,312 3rd |
| North Dakota | ||
| 5th | $122,160 | $137,322 1st |
| Hawaii | ||
| 6th | $121,700 | $110,686 19th |
| Tennessee | ||
| 7th | $115,920 | $126,178 4th |
| Maryland | ||
| 8th | $111,260 | $106,003 26th |
| Oregon | ||
| 9th | $109,830 | $106,259 25th |
| North Carolina | ||
| 10th | $108,300 | $114,815 9th |
| Georgia | ||
| 11th | $107,580 | $111,722 18th |
| Utah | ||
| 12th | $107,120 | $108,351 23rd |
| Alabama | ||
| 13th | $107,080 | $120,554 7th |
| Indiana | ||
| 14th | $107,000 | $114,648 11th |
| New York | ||
| 15th | $106,990 | $99,137 33rd |
| Montana | ||
| 16th | $106,040 | $112,040 17th |
| Michigan | ||
| 17th | $105,820 | $109,981 20th |
| New Mexico | ||
| 18th | $105,510 | $114,421 13th |
| California | ||
| 19th | $105,210 | $95,023 37th |
| Illinois | ||
| 20th | $104,440 | $104,484 28th |
| Ohio | ||
| 21st | $104,160 | $112,273 15th |
| Delaware | ||
| 22nd | $103,010 | $103,208 30th |
| Colorado | ||
| 23rd | $102,780 | $99,736 32nd |
| Texas | ||
| 24th | $102,510 | $105,618 27th |
| Mississippi | ||
| 25th | $102,400 | $117,765 8th |
| Missouri | ||
| 26th | $101,900 | $112,204 16th |
| Louisiana | ||
| 27th | $101,170 | $114,696 10th |
| Iowa | ||
| 28th | $100,500 | $114,514 12th |
| Massachusetts | ||
| 29th | $100,140 | $94,689 38th |
| Wyoming | ||
| 30th | $99,200 | $107,022 24th |
| Nebraska | ||
| 31st | $98,210 | $108,997 21st |
| Rhode Island | ||
| 32nd | $98,050 | $95,864 35th |
| Arkansas | ||
| 33rd | $97,760 | $112,449 14th |
| Connecticut | ||
| 34th | $97,460 | $94,064 39th |
| West Virginia | ||
| 35th | $97,210 | $108,618 22nd |
| Pennsylvania | ||
| 36th | $95,800 | $98,184 34th |
| Minnesota | ||
| 37th | $94,390 | $95,710 36th |
| Florida | ||
| 38th | $94,290 | $91,177 40th |
| Kentucky | ||
| 39th | $93,400 | $103,595 29th |
| Alaska | ||
| 40th | $88,870 | $86,822 42nd |
| Oklahoma | ||
| 41st | $88,590 | $100,850 31st |
| Arizona | ||
| 42nd | $84,970 | $84,399 44th |
| New Hampshire | ||
| 43rd | $81,070 | $77,828 47th |
| Maine | ||
| 44th | $81,060 | $83,524 45th |
| Kansas | ||
| 45th | $79,980 | $88,800 41st |
| South Carolina | ||
| 46th | $79,900 | $85,228 43rd |
| Vermont | ||
| 47th | $78,240 | $79,871 46th |
| Virginia | ||
| 48th | $73,640 | $72,836 48th |
| Wisconsin | ||
| 49th | $66,080 | $70,227 49th |
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Similar occupations
Related occupations from O*NET, in O*NET's order, with their BLS median pay. Each figure shows the place it is for.
- Gas Plant Operator salary in the U.S.
$87,820/year U.S.
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other salary in the U.S.
$49,230/year U.S.
- Stationary Engineer and Boiler Operator salary in the U.S.
$78,620/year U.S.
- Power Distributor and Dispatcher salary in the U.S.
$106,730/year U.S.
- Industrial Production Manager salary in the U.S.
$126,060/year U.S.
- Wind Turbine Service Technician salary in the U.S.
$64,120/year U.S.
Outlook
- Projected employment change, 2025–35 (U.S.)
- −5.1%
- Typical education needed for entry (U.S.)
- High school diploma or equivalent
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
Specialties included in this occupation
- Biomass Plant Technicians
- Hydroelectric Plant Technicians
BLS publishes one wage figure for all Power Plant Operators; it does not publish separate data for these specialties.
O*NET 31.0
Sources and update
- Wages and employment: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
- Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
- Related occupations and specialties: O*NET® 31.0 Database, CC BY 4.0. Attributions
- Employment projections and typical education: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
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