How much does a power plant operator make?

The median pay is $49.06 per hour — roughly $102,000 a year, with the real range running from about $29.71/hr (10th percentile) to $63.44/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a power plant operator?

The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

What does a power plant operator actually do all day?

Control generator output to match the phase, frequency, or voltage of electricity supplied to panels. Take regulatory action, based on readings from charts, meters and gauges, at established intervals. Control power generating equipment, including boilers, turbines, generators, or reactors, using control boards or semi-automatic equipment.

Manufacturing & Production

Power Plant Operators

Control, operate, or maintain machinery to generate electric power. Includes auxiliary equipment operators.

What it pays
Power Plant Operators earn a median of $49.06/hr — about $102,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $29.71/hr; the top 10% earn $63.44/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

Control generator output to match the phase, frequency, or voltage of electricity supplied to panels.
Take regulatory action, based on readings from charts, meters and gauges, at established intervals.
Control power generating equipment, including boilers, turbines, generators, or reactors, using control boards or semi-automatic equipment.
Start or stop generators, auxiliary pumping equipment, turbines, or other power plant equipment as necessary.
Monitor power plant equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems.
Operate or maintain distributed power generation equipment, including fuel cells or microturbines, to produce energy on-site for manufacturing or other commercial purposes.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the work happens outdoors. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 0% of power plant operators are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on, organized and detail-focused and analytical.

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Quick questions

How much does a power plant operator make?: The median pay is $49.06 per hour — roughly $102,000 a year, with the real range running from about $29.71/hr (10th percentile) to $63.44/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a power plant operator?: The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
What does a power plant operator actually do all day?: Control generator output to match the phase, frequency, or voltage of electricity supplied to panels. Take regulatory action, based on readings from charts, meters and gauges, at established intervals. Control power generating equipment, including boilers, turbines, generators, or reactors, using control boards or semi-automatic equipment.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.