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

What is a power plant operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The electricity movement from power plants to other stations, which provide power to households, enterprises, and essential organizations, is usually controlled by power plant operators. They contribute to developing innovations, improving efficiency, and maintaining plant safety practices.

Power plant operators work in various facilities, including gas, coal, nuclear, solar, and hydroelectric power, depending on the source of energy.

No two power plant operators are precisely alike, as specific skills vary from employer to employer. Generally, they take chart readings, monitor gauges, and examine sensors to view voltage and electricity flows. However, sometimes they also facilitate equipment cleaning and repair.

Power plant operators should be mechanically savvy with a passion for leadership and problem-solving. The qualifications for licensing differ by state, but a high school diploma and maintenance background is generally sought out.

ScorePower Plant OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.8

Avg. Salary $49,204

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.4

Growth rate -15%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.46%

Asian 1.46%

Black or African American 5.58%

Hispanic or Latino 7.75%

Unknown 5.47%

White 77.28%

Gender

female 5.09%

male 94.91%

Age - 46

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 - 46

Stress level

7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.0

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a power plant operator

Explore power plant operator education requirements

Most common power plant operator degrees

Bachelor's

36.0 %

Associate

28.1 %

High School Diploma

18.6 %

Start to develop specific power plant operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Plant Equipment	8.84%
Steam Boilers	7.80%
Auxiliary Equipment	6.67%
Plant Operations	5.32%
Cooling Towers	4.93%

Complete relevant power plant operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New power plant 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 power plant operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real power plant operator resumes.

Research power plant operator duties and responsibilities

Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Process operator in the powerhouse.
Develop and assist regional groups with desk operating procedures for NERC compliance standards.
Control and maintain auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, fans, compressors and condensers.

Prepare your power plant operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your power plant 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 power plant 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 power plant operator resume templates

Build a professional power plant 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 power plant operator resume.