Power plant operator vs power operator

The differences between power plant operators and power operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a power plant operator has an average salary of $49,204, which is higher than the $38,263 average annual salary of a power operator.

The top three skills for a power plant operator include plant equipment, steam boilers and auxiliary equipment. The most important skills for a power operator are pallets, control room, and electrical systems.

Power plant operator vs power operator overview

	Power Plant Operator	Power Operator
Yearly salary	$49,204	$38,263
Hourly rate	$23.66	$18.40
Growth rate	-15%	-15%
Number of jobs	40,719	39,171
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 34%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

Power plant operator vs power operator salary

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

	Power Plant Operator	Power Operator
Average salary	$49,204	$38,263
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $67,000	Between $28,000 And $50,000
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 power operator education

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

	Power Plant Operator	Power Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 34%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Business
Most common college	-	-

Power plant operator vs power operator demographics

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

	Power Plant Operator	Power Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 94.9% Female, 5.1%	Male, 86.4% Female, 13.6%
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, 5.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 1.5% White, 77.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between power plant operator and power operator 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.

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.

Power plant operator vs power operator skills

Common power plant operator skills

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

Common power operator skills

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