How To Become A Control Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a control operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

John Clark Ph.D., CFA, CFP

Control operators work in large plants' control rooms, particularly power plants, where they monitor all of the plants' operations to ensure that everything is working correctly. They control the creation and flow of electricity from power plants to businesses, homes and factories. Control operators work at all kinds of power plants, including coal, gas, nuclear, hydroelectric, and wind and solar power.

The control operator job's high stakes nature requires them to work well under pressure and adjust quickly to changes. It helps if they remain flexible and productive in times of continuing change and high stress. They are often good analytical thinkers that are able to gather data and determine and take a course of action after identifying possible consequences. A good control room operator is a creative problem solver and a leader.

Control operators use many different tools to perform their day-to-day duties. For applicants planning to pursue a career as a control operator, they should gain proficiency in hand and power tools and essential office computer equipment and programs.

The average annual pay for a control operator in the United States is $35,341 a year or $16.99 an hour. This is the equivalent of $680/week or $2,945/month.

What general advice would you give to a control operator?

John Clark Ph.D., CFA, CFP

Chair, Dept. of Finance, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

Show you have experience. Doing an internship is a great way to increase your starting salary. I always advocate for doing applied research, this is research that you can show has implications for society - science for the sake of science is not good science! Obtaining an MS degree is also a good way to increase your salary, especially if your MS degree is relevant to your future job.

ScoreControl OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.4

Avg. Salary $42,885

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.0

Growth rate -8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.87%

Asian 5.98%

Black or African American 4.81%

Hispanic or Latino 14.52%

Unknown 5.43%

White 68.39%

Gender

female 23.23%

male 76.77%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

6.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.7

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.1

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a control operator

Explore control operator education requirements

Most common control operator degrees

Bachelor's

58.1 %

Associate

15.2 %

Master's

11.4 %

Start to develop specific control operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	11.09%
Safety Procedures	6.57%
Payroll	6.05%
Financial Reports	4.19%
CPA	4.03%

Complete relevant control operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New control operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a control operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real control operator resumes.

Gain additional control operator certifications

Control operator certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific control operator certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for control operators include Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA).

More About Certifications

Research control operator duties and responsibilities

Manage day to day processing of accounts receivable and payable using QuickBooks, producing reports as needed.
Manage all financial activities including financial reporting, general accounting, budgeting, cost accounting, A/R, A/P.
Manage, analyze, and prepare period- and year-end documentation, ensuring generally accept accounting principles (GAAP) adherence.
Manage logistics to increase shipping efficiency and reduce transportation costs.

Prepare your control operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your control operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a control operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable control operator resume templates

Build a professional control operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your control operator resume.

Apply for control operator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a control operator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do control operators rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Control operator reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Pros

There is something new all the time ,one day your doing parts for a water pump,and the next day you could be doing parts going to Mars I did on the land,rover

Cons

If your not careful what you are doing you can put a whole order in the trash or break a brooch