Steam plant operator vs turbine operator

The differences between steam 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 $45,404 average annual salary of a steam plant operator.

The top three skills for a steam plant operator include general maintenance, plant equipment and water pumps. The most important skills for a turbine operator are control room, electrical systems, and water systems.

Steam plant operator vs turbine operator overview

	Steam Plant Operator	Turbine Operator
Yearly salary	$45,404	$50,567
Hourly rate	$21.83	$24.31
Growth rate	-15%	-15%
Number of jobs	34,695	26,156
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

Steam plant operator vs turbine operator salary

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

	Steam Plant Operator	Turbine Operator
Average salary	$45,404	$50,567
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $64,000	Between $34,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between steam plant operator and turbine operator education

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

	Steam Plant Operator	Turbine Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Mechanical Engineering	Business
Most common college	-	-

Steam plant operator vs turbine operator demographics

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

	Steam Plant Operator	Turbine Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 92.9% Female, 7.1%	Male, 94.8% Female, 5.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 1.5% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%	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 steam plant operator and turbine operator duties and responsibilities

Steam plant operator example responsibilities.

Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Prepare asphalt mixtures per customer requirements, load and unload tankers and monitor tanks and assist with paperwork
Train in adult CPR and general first aid.
Insure that lock-out and tag-out procedures are perform safely and in compliance with APS guidelines.

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.

Steam plant operator vs turbine operator skills

Common steam plant operator skills

General Maintenance, 15%
Plant Equipment, 13%
Water Pumps, 12%
Mechanical Equipment, 11%
Loaders, 8%
HVAC, 7%

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
Steam Plant Operator
Steam Plant Operator vs Turbine Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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