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The differences between control room operators and power plant operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a power plant operator has an average salary of $49,204, which is higher than the $43,733 average annual salary of a control room operator.
The top three skills for a control room operator include control room operations, plant operations and safety procedures. The most important skills for a power plant operator are plant equipment, steam boilers, and auxiliary equipment.
| Control Room Operator | Power Plant Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $43,733 | $49,204 |
| Hourly rate | $21.03 | $23.66 |
| Growth rate | -15% | -15% |
| Number of jobs | 89,096 | 40,719 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A control room operator is an individual who works in the control room of a power plant to monitor the operations of the plant as well as ensures that everything is properly working. By using computer controls, control room operators must monitor and maintain plant equipment and indicators for proper operation. They must perform maintenance on various plant equipment to help improve reliability while monitoring the temperature to control plant heat. Control room operators must also serve as the control point for all individuals who enter the toxic areas of the facility.
A power plant operator is primarily in charge of controlling and maintaining machinery that generates and distributes electricity. Their responsibilities typically include monitoring charts and sensors, gathering and analyzing data, detecting errors and inconsistencies, maintaining daily logs and records of all progress, and performing adjustments as needed. They may also perform regular maintenance checks, executing corrective measures promptly. Furthermore, as a power plant operator, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with fellow operators and power plant staff for an efficient and safe workflow.
Control room operators and power plant operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Control Room Operator | Power Plant Operator | |
| Average salary | $43,733 | $49,204 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $62,000 | Between $35,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Commerce City, CO | Minneapolis, MN |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | California Resources | Orange County Sanitation District |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a control room operator and a power plant operator in terms of educational background:
| Control Room Operator | Power Plant Operator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between control room operators' and power plant operators' demographics:
| Control Room Operator | Power Plant Operator | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8% | Male, 94.9% Female, 5.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 1.5% White, 77.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4% | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 1.5% White, 77.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |