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Power plant operator salary
Average power plant operator salary
$49,204
Average Power Plant Operator Salary
The average salary for a Power Plant Operator is approximately $49,204 annually or $24 per hour. This figure reflects the base compensation for operators working in various types of power plants, including fossil fuel, nuclear, and renewable energy facilities.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level operators typically start with lower salaries, while those with several years of experience can earn significantly more. Operators with specialized skills or certifications often command higher wages.
Regional Salary Variations
Salary levels differ by state. For instance, states like California and Texas are known for offering higher salaries due to demand and cost of living factors. On the other hand, operators in less populated areas may see lower average salaries.
Opportunities for Advancement
Career progression often leads to roles like Plant Manager or Operations Supervisor, which come with increased responsibility and salary potential. Continuous training and professional development can further enhance earning prospects.
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Where can a Power Plant Operator earn more?
Power plant operator salaries by experience level
Power plant operator salary estimates from across the web
Average power plant operator salary by state
The average power plant operator salary in Alaska, Michigan, and Minnesota are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average power plant operator salary states are Mississippi, Louisiana, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for power plant operators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | $54,570 | $26.24 |
| 2 | Alaska | $61,250 | $29.45 |
| 3 | Iowa | $52,753 | $25.36 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $52,952 | $25.46 |
| 5 | Michigan | $56,622 | $27.22 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $54,828 | $26.36 |
| 7 | Montana | $54,548 | $26.23 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $56,465 | $27.15 |
| 9 | Vermont | $53,026 | $25.49 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $53,971 | $25.95 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $52,926 | $25.45 |
| 12 | South Dakota | $51,545 | $24.78 |
| 13 | Utah | $52,495 | $25.24 |
| 14 | Nevada | $53,307 | $25.63 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $51,342 | $24.68 |
| 16 | Ohio | $51,340 | $24.68 |
| 17 | Idaho | $51,989 | $24.99 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $49,839 | $23.96 |
| 19 | Arkansas | $51,102 | $24.57 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $52,848 | $25.41 |
| 21 | Delaware | $51,503 | $24.76 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $51,238 | $24.63 |
| 23 | Maryland | $50,436 | $24.25 |
| 24 | Connecticut | $52,977 | $25.47 |
| 25 | Washington | $54,793 | $26.34 |
| 26 | California | $55,044 | $26.46 |
| 27 | Oregon | $53,898 | $25.91 |
| 28 | Colorado | $52,629 | $25.30 |
| 29 | District of Columbia | $50,031 | $24.05 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $48,366 | $23.25 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $49,315 | $23.71 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $47,754 | $22.96 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | $49,314 | $23.71 |
| 34 | Texas | $51,135 | $24.58 |
| 35 | Maine | $49,580 | $23.84 |
| 36 | New York | $51,939 | $24.97 |
| 37 | New Jersey | $48,484 | $23.31 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | $48,469 | $23.30 |
| 39 | Indiana | $45,881 | $22.06 |
| 40 | Arizona | $47,407 | $22.79 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $43,791 | $21.05 |
| 42 | Illinois | $48,132 | $23.14 |
| 43 | Kansas | $44,881 | $21.58 |
| 44 | Missouri | $47,074 | $22.63 |
| 45 | Georgia | $46,765 | $22.48 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $43,532 | $20.93 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $43,218 | $20.78 |
| 48 | Alabama | $40,152 | $19.30 |
| 49 | Virginia | $46,454 | $22.33 |
| 50 | North Carolina | $40,116 | $19.29 |
| 51 | Florida | $39,206 | $18.85 |
Highest paying cities for power plant operators
The highest-paying cities for power plant operators are Minneapolis, MN, Fountain Valley, CA, and Springfield, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis, MN | $56,463 | $27.15 |
| 2 | Fountain Valley, CA | $53,176 | $25.57 |
| 3 | Springfield, MA | $53,118 | $25.54 |
| 4 | Lakewood, CO | $52,700 | $25.34 |
| 5 | Binghamton, NY | $52,408 | $25.20 |
| 6 | Des Moines, IA | $52,399 | $25.19 |
| 7 | Fayetteville, AR | $51,653 | $24.83 |
| 8 | La Crosse, WI | $51,525 | $24.77 |
| 9 | Austin, TX | $51,314 | $24.67 |
| 10 | Baltimore, MD | $50,758 | $24.40 |
| 11 | Florence, KY | $48,885 | $23.50 |
| 12 | Hoffman Estates, IL | $48,565 | $23.35 |
| 13 | New Brunswick, NJ | $48,485 | $23.31 |
| 14 | Alexandria, VA | $48,298 | $23.22 |
| 15 | Saint Louis, MO | $46,987 | $22.59 |
| 16 | Richmond, IN | $45,714 | $21.98 |
| 17 | Manhattan, KS | $45,311 | $21.78 |
| 18 | Charleston, SC | $42,675 | $20.52 |
| 19 | Decatur, AL | $40,816 | $19.62 |
| 20 | Fayetteville, NC | $39,816 | $19.14 |
Power plant operator salary details
A power plant operator's salary ranges from $35,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $67,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a power plant operator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
| 75th Percentile | $58,000 | $4,833 | $28 |
| Average | $49,204 | $4,100 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
Highest paying power plant operator jobs
The highest paying types of power plant operators are stationary engineer, power technician, and coal gasification technician.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stationary Engineer | $69,163 | $5,764 | $33.25 | 5,010 |
| Operator | $37,928 | $3,161 | $18.23 | 159,077 |
| Control Room Operator | $43,733 | $3,644 | $21.03 | 89,096 |
| Chemical Operator | $40,526 | $3,377 | $19.48 | 36,522 |
| Utility Operator | $38,693 | $3,224 | $18.60 | 67,565 |
| Process Operator | $37,996 | $3,166 | $18.27 | 83,478 |
Top companies hiring power plant operators now:
Which companies pay power plant operators the most?
Power plant operator salaries at Orange County Sanitation District and California Resources are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average power plant operator salary at companies like Calpine and UW-Milwaukee are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orange County Sanitation District | $85,879 | $41.29 |
| 2 | California Resources | $77,577 | $37.30 |
| 3 | Calpine | $70,157 | $33.73 |
| 4 | UW-Milwaukee | $57,758 | $27.77 |
| 5 | Fluor Corporation | $57,319 | $27.56 |
| 6 | ADM | $54,688 | $26.29 |
| 7 | St. Peter's Health | $54,182 | $26.05 |
| 8 | Aerotek | $53,082 | $25.52 |
| 9 | TECO Energy | $53,042 | $25.50 |
| 10 | BJC HealthCare | $52,527 | $25.25 |
| 11 | ASRC Federal | $52,406 | $25.20 |
| 12 | Medxcel | $52,327 | $25.16 |
| 13 | Veolia Water Tech | $52,157 | $25.08 |
| 14 | St. Elizabeth Healthcare | $51,813 | $24.91 |
| 15 | Reid Health | $51,396 | $24.71 |
| 16 | United States Army Corps of Engineers | $51,375 | $24.70 |
| 17 | Alcoa | $51,132 | $24.58 |
| 18 | Patten Cat | $51,095 | $24.56 |
| 19 | City of Gainesville | $50,786 | $24.42 |
| 20 | Veolia Environmental Services North America | $50,742 | $24.40 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Power Plant Operator salary by industry
The average power plant operator salary varies across industries:
- The average power plant operator salary in the utilities industry is $59,574, the highest of any industry.
- The average power plant operator salary in the finance industry is $57,712.
- Power plant operators in the professional industry earn an average salary of $50,662, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for power plant operators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utilities | $59,574 | $28.64 |
| 2 | Construction | $57,712 | $27.75 |
| 3 | Energy | $57,388 | $27.59 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $52,520 | $25.25 |
| 5 | Professional | $50,662 | $24.36 |
High paying power plant operator jobs
Power plant operator salary trends
The average power plant operator salary has risen by $11,259 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average power plant operator earned $37,945 annually, but today, they earn $49,204 a year. That works out to a 13% change in pay for power plant operators over the last decade.
Compare power plant operator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average power plant operator salary over time
Compare power plant operator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Power plant operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $49,200 | $23.66 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $47,700 | $22.91 | +2.9% |
| 2023 | $46,300 | $22.25 | +3.1% |
| 2022 | $44,900 | $21.57 | +3.2% |
| 2021 | $43,400 | $20.87 | +3.7% |
Recently added power plant operator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Columbia, Mo | Power Plant Operator I-W&L | Columbia, MO | 06/28/2025 | $46,727 |
| Naes | Power Plant Utility Operator | North Tonawanda, NY | 06/27/2025 | $70,958 |
| Rhode Island College | Power Plant Operator | Providence, RI | 06/25/2025 | $18,783 |
| State of Wisconsin | Power Plant Operator-In Charge | Chippewa Falls, WI | 06/24/2025 | $60,900 |
| Aerotek | Power Plant Operator | Chouteau, OK | 06/21/2025 | $37,566 |
| City of Bryan, Tx | Btu-Power Plant Operator | Bryan, TX | 06/18/2025 | $40,697 |
| Trinity Health Corporation | Syr_Power Plant Operator_2110 | Syracuse, NY | 06/13/2025 | $48,836 |
| Orange County Sanitation District | Lead Power Plant Operator | Fountain Valley, CA | 06/12/2025 | $115,641 |
| Williams College | Lead Power Plant Operator | Williamstown, MA | 06/09/2025 | $93,915 |
| Rahrbsg | Assistant Power Plant Operator | Shakopee, MN | 06/09/2025 | $62,610 |
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