Power Plant Operators
Control, operate, or maintain machinery to generate electric power. Includes auxiliary equipment operators.
Also called: Auxiliary Operator · Control Operator · Control Room Operator · Multicraft Operator (MCO) · Operations and Maintenance Technician (O and M Tech) · Plant Control Operator
Median pay (national)
$99,670
$59,930–$128,760 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
30,720
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-11.2%
~2,500 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for power plant operators shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $128,760 versus $59,930 at the bottom 10% — 2.1x. The median of $99,670 leaves roughly 29% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change -11.2% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 2,500 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 51 states with released data, Washington pays the most for this role (median $124,050, +24% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $63,270 — a 96% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Listening as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Control power generating equipment, including boilers, turbines, generators, or reactors, using control boards or semi-automatic equipment.
- Monitor power plant equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems.
- Regulate equipment operations and conditions, such as water levels, based on instrument data or from computers.
- Inspect records or log book entries or communicate with plant personnel to assess equipment operating status.
- Clean, lubricate, or maintain equipment, such as generators, turbines, pumps, or compressors, to prevent failure or deterioration.
- 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.
- Start or stop generators, auxiliary pumping equipment, turbines, or other power plant equipment as necessary.
- Operate or maintain distributed power generation equipment, including fuel cells or microturbines, to produce energy on-site for manufacturing or other commercial purposes.
- Open and close valves and switches in sequence to start or shut down auxiliary units.
Tools & technology
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- SAP software
- Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
- Continuous emissions monitoring systems CEMS
- Distributed control system DCS
- Emerson Ovation
- Gas field monitoring system software
- General Electric Mark VI Distributed Control System DCS
- General Electric Mark VI Integrated Control System ICS
- Interlock shutdown systems
- Landfill gas analysis software
- Landtec System Software LFG Pro
- Operational Data Store ODS software
Knowledge areas
- Mechanical
- Public Safety and Security
- English Language
- Production and Processing
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Engineering and Technology
- Design