Hydro plant operator vs control room operator

The differences between hydro plant operators and control room operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a hydro plant operator has an average salary of $46,079, which is higher than the $43,733 average annual salary of a control room operator.

The top three skills for a hydro plant operator include test equipment, and . The most important skills for a control room operator are control room operations, plant operations, and safety procedures.

Hydro plant operator vs control room operator overview

	Hydro Plant Operator	Control Room Operator
Yearly salary	$46,079	$43,733
Hourly rate	$22.15	$21.03
Growth rate	-15%	-15%
Number of jobs	34,497	89,096
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

Hydro plant operator vs control room operator salary

Hydro plant operators and control room operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Hydro Plant Operator	Control Room Operator
Average salary	$46,079	$43,733
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $63,000	Between $30,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	-	Commerce City, CO
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	California Resources
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between hydro plant operator and control room operator education

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

	Hydro Plant Operator	Control Room Operator
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Hydro plant operator vs control room operator demographics

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

	Hydro Plant Operator	Control Room Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 92.3% Female, 7.7%	Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8%
Race ratio	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%	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%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between hydro plant operator and control room operator duties and responsibilities

Hydro plant operator example responsibilities.

Maintain buildings HVAC / lighting automation systems and make adjustments as needed for tenant's comfort and to manage energy consumption.
Prepare asphalt mixtures per customer requirements, load and unload tankers and monitor tanks and assist with paperwork
Perform maintenance on MSA self-contain breathing apparatus.

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.

Hydro plant operator vs control room operator skills

Common hydro plant operator skills

Test Equipment, 100%

Common control room operator skills

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

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Hydro Plant Operator
Hydro Plant Operator vs Control Room Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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