Power plant operator vs coal gasification technician

The differences between power plant operators and coal gasification technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a coal gasification technician has an average salary of $52,119, which is higher than the $49,204 average annual salary of a power plant operator.

The top three skills for a power plant operator include plant equipment, steam boilers and auxiliary equipment. The most important skills for a coal gasification technician are safety procedures, plant equipment, and CO2.

Power plant operator vs coal gasification technician overview

	Power Plant Operator	Coal Gasification Technician
Yearly salary	$49,204	$52,119
Hourly rate	$23.66	$25.06
Growth rate	-15%	-15%
Number of jobs	40,719	6,224
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 32%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

Power plant operator vs coal gasification technician salary

Power plant operators and coal gasification technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Power Plant Operator	Coal Gasification Technician
Average salary	$49,204	$52,119
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $67,000	Between $34,000 And $79,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Orange County Sanitation District	-
Best paying industry	Utilities	-

Differences between power plant operator and coal gasification technician education

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

	Power Plant Operator	Coal Gasification Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 32%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	-	-

Power plant operator vs coal gasification technician demographics

Here are the differences between power plant operators' and coal gasification technicians' demographics:

	Power Plant Operator	Coal Gasification Technician
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 94.9% Female, 5.1%	Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4%
Race ratio	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%	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 power plant operator and coal gasification technician duties and responsibilities

Power plant operator example 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.
Perform various aspects of preventive maintenance and troubleshooting on HVAC systems; 300 to 1500 tons.
Repair and perform complete rebuilds on various valves, actuators, pumps, compressors, large fans, gearboxes etc.

Coal gasification technician example responsibilities.

Manage safety program to ensure compliance with company, OSHA, NFPA-70E and industry regulations, policies and procedures.
Demonstrate good mechanical aptitude in order to understand and troubleshoot the various processes and equipment describe above.
Demonstrate good mechanical aptitude in order to understand and troubleshoot the various processes and equipment describe above.

Power plant operator vs coal gasification technician skills

Common power plant operator skills

Plant Equipment, 9%
Steam Boilers, 8%
Auxiliary Equipment, 7%
Plant Operations, 5%
Cooling Towers, 5%
Condensers, 5%

Common coal gasification technician skills

Safety Procedures, 56%
Plant Equipment, 22%
CO2, 22%

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Power Plant Operator vs Coal Gasification Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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