Control room operator vs senior power plant operator

The differences between control room operators and senior power plant operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior power plant operator has an average salary of $45,990, 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 senior power plant operator are plant equipment, routine maintenance, and mechanical equipment.

Control room operator vs senior power plant operator overview

	Control Room Operator	Senior Power Plant Operator
Yearly salary	$43,733	$45,990
Hourly rate	$21.03	$22.11
Growth rate	-15%	-15%
Number of jobs	89,096	36,207
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

Control room operator vs senior power plant operator salary

Control room operators and senior power plant operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Control Room Operator	Senior Power Plant Operator
Average salary	$43,733	$45,990
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $62,000	Between $33,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	Commerce City, CO	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	California Resources	-
Best paying industry	Energy	-

Differences between control room operator and senior power plant operator education

There are a few differences between a control room operator and a senior power plant operator in terms of educational background:

	Control Room Operator	Senior Power Plant Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common major	Business	Mechanical Engineering
Most common college	-	-

Control room operator vs senior power plant operator demographics

Here are the differences between control room operators' and senior power plant operators' demographics:

	Control Room Operator	Senior Power Plant Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8%	Male, 97.6% Female, 2.4%
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, 4.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.8% Asian, 1.3% White, 79.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between control room operator and senior power plant operator duties and responsibilities

Control room operator example responsibilities.

Lead and manage the redesign of system SCADA schematic's, revise system load calculations and regional load shedding programs.
Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Perform inspections of area by accessing ladders and stairwells.
Run coating machine Pre-QC boards before sending to QC.
Serve a lead producer; direct crew to ensure show run smoothly.
Operate support utilities, including cascade HVAC, power distribution, and emergency generators.

Senior power plant operator example responsibilities.

Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Prepare asphalt mixtures per customer requirements, load and unload tankers and monitor tanks and assist with paperwork
Verify and insure satisfactory operation of process exhaust scrubbers.

Control room operator vs senior power plant operator skills

Common control room operator skills

Control Room Operations, 8%
Plant Operations, 7%
Safety Procedures, 7%
Plant Equipment, 6%
Ladders, 6%
Emergency Situations, 6%

Common senior power plant operator skills

Plant Equipment, 33%
Routine Maintenance, 19%
Mechanical Equipment, 13%
Plant Operations, 12%
Water Treatment, 10%
Chemical Treatment, 10%

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Control Room Operator
Control Room Operator vs Senior Power Plant Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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