Power plant operator vs turbine operator

The differences between power plant operators and turbine operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a turbine operator has an average salary of $50,567, 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 turbine operator are control room, electrical systems, and water systems.

Power plant operator vs turbine operator overview

	Power Plant Operator	Turbine Operator
Yearly salary	$49,204	$50,567
Hourly rate	$23.66	$24.31
Growth rate	-15%	-15%
Number of jobs	40,719	26,156
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

Power plant operator vs turbine operator salary

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

	Power Plant Operator	Turbine Operator
Average salary	$49,204	$50,567
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $67,000	Between $34,000 And $73,000
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 turbine operator education

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

	Power Plant Operator	Turbine Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Business
Most common college	-	-

Power plant operator vs turbine operator demographics

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

	Power Plant Operator	Turbine Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 94.9% Female, 5.1%	Male, 94.8% Female, 5.2%
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, 5.5% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 1.5% White, 76.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.2%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between power plant operator and turbine 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.

Turbine operator example responsibilities.

Use TAGLINK to prepare LOTO for the equipment to be repair.
Job require yearly training in first aide, CPR and fire fighting.
Perform routine maintenance on pumps, valves, exchangers, air compressors, and condensers.
Identify parameters indicative of an emergency condition and initiate designated actions, execute terminal shutdown and start-up procedures upon approval.
Inspect and maintain fire and distribution pumps, turbines, boilers, and demineralizers.
Operate and monitor the reverse osmosis water purification system and mix bed demineralizers.

Power plant operator vs turbine 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 turbine operator skills

Control Room, 19%
Electrical Systems, 19%
Water Systems, 16%
Safety Standards, 14%
Water Chemistry, 13%
Outage, 9%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Power Plant Operator
Power Plant Operator vs Turbine Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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