Power operator vs plant control operator

The differences between power operators and plant control operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a plant control operator has an average salary of $49,393, which is higher than the $38,263 average annual salary of a power operator.

The top three skills for a power operator include pallets, control room and electrical systems. The most important skills for a plant control operator are control room, plant operations, and financial analysis.

Power operator vs plant control operator overview

	Power Operator	Plant Control Operator
Yearly salary	$38,263	$49,393
Hourly rate	$18.40	$23.75
Growth rate	-15%	-15%
Number of jobs	39,171	64,591
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

Power operator vs plant control operator salary

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

	Power Operator	Plant Control Operator
Average salary	$38,263	$49,393
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $50,000	Between $36,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between power operator and plant control operator education

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

	Power Operator	Plant Control Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Power operator vs plant control operator demographics

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

	Power Operator	Plant Control Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 86.4% Female, 13.6%	Male, 86.0% Female, 14.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 1.5% White, 77.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%	Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 1.5% White, 77.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between power operator and plant control operator duties and responsibilities

Power operator example responsibilities.

Manage an internal environmental information system and ensure compliance with EPA and RCRA regulations.
Operate heavy equipment, loaders, lifts, hand and power tools to complete skil tasks.
Adjust controls of water and cold feed systems, blowers and igniters to start up and shut down boilers.
Help electrical maintenance department troubleshoot motors and other electrical devices.
Identify parameters indicative of an emergency condition and initiate designated actions, execute terminal shutdown and start-up procedures upon approval.
Conduct rig movements during drilling operations.

Plant control operator example responsibilities.

Coordinate and manage annual physical inventory as well as inventory valuation in accordance with Canadian GAAP.
Implement Sarbanes-Oxley compliance with no significant gaps.
Administer compliance of Sarbanes-Oxley requirements at plant level.
Lead operations finance team to ensure timely and accurate financial reporting and costing consistent with internal policy and SOX requirements.
Lead operations finance team to ensure timely and accurate financial reporting and costing consistent with internal policy and SOX requirements.

Power operator vs plant control operator skills

Common power operator skills

Pallets, 28%
Control Room, 19%
Electrical Systems, 9%
Water Treatment, 8%
Cooling Towers, 5%
HVAC, 4%

Common plant control operator skills

Control Room, 19%
Plant Operations, 14%
Financial Analysis, 9%
Financial Performance, 7%
ERP, 6%
Gas Plant, 5%

Power Operator vs. similar jobs

Power Operator related careers

Power Operator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Production and Manufacturing Industry
Power Operator
Power Operator vs Plant Control Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse production and manufacturing jobs