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

What is a power plant technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Power plant technicians work in a power plant, which is an industrial facility that produces electricity and makes sure that everything is working as it should. They monitor the status of equipment from the control room and log their readings. They also adjust the electrical output and maintain a consistent voltage throughout the power plant using computer systems located in the control room. That doesn't mean that power plant technicians don't get their hands dirty. They maintain the machines, make any necessary repairs if they notice that one isn't working as it should, and follow safety procedures, especially in case of an emergency.

Most power plant technicians get by with only a high school diploma and some maintenance experience, although some get a vocational school degree. Usually, power plants technicians learn on the job. However, nuclear power plant workers must pass a licensing exam before they are hired.

On average, power plant technicians earn $45,740 a year. This is a solid career with decent pay and good prospects because the country will always need power.

ScorePower Plant TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.6

Avg. Salary $46,681

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.8

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.62%

Asian 6.75%

Black or African American 9.06%

Hispanic or Latino 23.18%

Unknown 5.05%

White 55.36%

Gender

female 4.80%

male 95.20%

Age - 39

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 - 39

Stress level

7.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.2

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a power plant technician

Explore power plant technician education requirements

Most common power plant technician degrees

Associate

38.0 %

Bachelor's

25.0 %

High School Diploma

19.3 %

Start to develop specific power plant technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Plant Equipment	13.09%
Preventive Maintenance	7.64%
Gearboxes	7.08%
Electrical Equipment	6.45%
Safety Procedures	6.24%

Complete relevant power plant technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New power plant technicians 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 technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real power plant technician resumes.

Research power plant technician duties and responsibilities

Manage the FOD prevention program to reduce costly repairs and increase the participation in FOD awareness and FOD walk downs.
Maintain and repair industrial machinery such as power transmission components, hydraulics, pneumatics, plumbing systems, and electro-mechanical components.
Perform unschedule aircraft line maintenance on 76 assign Cessna 402-C Utiliners.

Prepare your power plant technician resume

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

Build a professional power plant technician 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 technician resume.