Power plant operator earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level power plant operator earnings begin at:

$63.55 per hour

$132,180 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level power plant operator earnings begin at:

$61.19 per hour

$127,280 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level power plant operator earnings begin at:

$47.77 per hour

$99,350 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level power plant operator earnings begin at:

$35.36 per hour

$73,540 per year

10th percentile

Starting level power plant operator earnings begin at:

$29.39 per hour

$61,140 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Power plant operator salary by state

State Name Average Salary
California $99,350
Hawaii $98,680
North Dakota $98,290
New York $98,290
Rhode Island $98,290
New Mexico $98,190
Idaho $98,030
Colorado $97,800
Oregon $97,470
New Jersey $96,870
Nebraska $96,730
Georgia $95,840
Minnesota $94,790
Montana $91,440
Tennessee $88,460
Michigan $81,710
Illinois $81,050
Ohio $80,850
Utah $80,850
West Virginia $80,850
Connecticut $80,560
Alabama $80,310
South Dakota $80,310
Mississippi $80,100
Indiana $80,090
Nevada $79,410
Texas $79,280
Kentucky $79,110
Wyoming $78,910
Oklahoma $78,860
Pennsylvania $77,840
Alaska $77,740
Massachusetts $77,520
Missouri $77,450
Iowa $77,360
Vermont $77,360
Kansas $77,330
Arkansas $77,170
Florida $77,030
Louisiana $77,030
Maine $72,050
South Carolina $67,100
Virginia $63,500
North Carolina $62,890
New Hampshire $62,890
Wisconsin $61,510
Arizona $51,990
Puerto Rico $38,290
Washington $104,110
Maryland $100,780

How do power plant operator salaries compare to similar careers?

Power plant operators earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than biomass power plant managers but more than avionics technicians.

Career Median Salary
Biomass power plant manager salary $120K
Industrial production manager salary $120K
Elevator mechanic salary $115K
Boilermaker salary $109K
Operations research analyst salary $85K
Power plant operator salary $99K
Industrial designer salary $87K
Logistician salary $81K
Aircraft mechanic salary $77K
Avionics technician salary $77K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)