Power plant operator earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level power plant operator earnings begin at:

$53.42 per hour

$111,120 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level power plant operator earnings begin at:

$48.13 per hour

$100,110 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level power plant operator earnings begin at:

$38.97 per hour

$81,050 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level power plant operator earnings begin at:

$30.02 per hour

$62,440 per year

10th percentile

Starting level power plant operator earnings begin at:

$22.76 per hour

$47,340 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 10% less than similar careers in Illinois. On average, they make less than industrial production managers but more than non-destructive testing specialists.

Career Median Salary
Industrial production manager salary $116K
Elevator mechanic salary $114K
Operations research analyst salary $99K
Boilermaker salary $100K
Radio mechanic salary $102K
Power plant operator salary $81K
Aviation inspector salary $77K
Millwright salary $78K
Aircraft mechanic salary $75K
Non-Destructive testing specialist salary $76K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)