How much does a power plant operator make?
Median yearly pay in the United States: half earn more and half earn less. That is $49.06 an hour or $8,503 a month.
- Hourly
- $49.06
- Average (mean)
- $99,790
- Jobs
- 29,320
| Percentile | Yearly | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $61,790 | $29.71 | |
| 25th | $79,690 | $38.31 | |
| Median | $102,000 | $49.06 | |
| 75th | $119,100 | $57.25 | |
| 90th | $131,900 | $63.43 |
By state
Median yearly pay.
| Washington | $131,600 |
| Nevada | $131,400 |
| New Jersey | $131,400 |
| Idaho | $124,400 |
| North Dakota | $122,200 |
| Hawaii | $121,700 |
| Tennessee | $115,900 |
| Maryland | $111,300 |
| Oregon | $109,800 |
| North Carolina | $108,300 |
| Georgia | $107,600 |
| Utah | $107,100 |
| Alabama | $107,100 |
| Indiana | $107,000 |
| New York | $107,000 |
| Montana | $106,000 |
| Michigan | $105,800 |
| New Mexico | $105,500 |
| California | $105,200 |
| Illinois | $104,400 |
| Ohio | $104,200 |
| Delaware | $103,000 |
| Colorado | $102,800 |
| Texas | $102,500 |
| Mississippi | $102,400 |
| Missouri | $101,900 |
| Louisiana | $101,200 |
| Iowa | $100,500 |
| Massachusetts | $100,100 |
| Wyoming | $99,200 |
| Nebraska | $98,210 |
| Rhode Island | $98,050 |
| Arkansas | $97,760 |
| Connecticut | $97,460 |
| West Virginia | $97,210 |
| Pennsylvania | $95,800 |
| Minnesota | $94,390 |
| Florida | $94,290 |
| Kentucky | $93,400 |
| Alaska | $88,870 |
| Oklahoma | $88,590 |
| Arizona | $84,970 |
| New Hampshire | $81,070 |
| Maine | $81,060 |
| Kansas | $79,980 |
| South Carolina | $79,900 |
| Vermont | $78,240 |
| Virginia | $73,640 |
| Wisconsin | $66,080 |
Highest paying cities
Metro areas, median yearly pay.
| Wenatchee, WA | $145,500 |
| Fresno, CA | $138,900 |
| Portland, OR | $137,000 |
| Boise City, ID | $134,100 |
| Sacramento, CA | $133,400 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $133,100 |
| San Francisco, CA | $132,600 |
| Charlotte, NC | $132,000 |
| New York, NY | $131,800 |
| Reno, NV | $129,000 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $126,200 |
| Seattle, WA | $125,000 |
| New Haven, CT | $123,800 |
| Chicago, IL | $123,500 |
| Honolulu, HI | $122,000 |
In other countries
Power Plant Operator belongs to the international group "Power production plant operators".
Compare pay in 140 countriesSimilar jobs
- Nuclear Power Reactor Operator$122,900
- Power Distributor and Dispatcher$106,700
- Stationary Engineer and Boiler Operator$78,620
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operator$60,020
- Chemical Plant and System Operator$78,120
- Gas Plant Operator$87,820
- Petroleum Pump System Operator$96,710
- Plant and System Operator$62,470
Frequently asked questions
How much does a power plant operator make an hour?
The median hourly pay is $49.06 ($102,000 a year).
How much does a power plant operator make a month?
About $8,503 a month before tax, based on a median of $102,000 a year.
How much does a power plant operator make starting out?
The lowest-paid 10% make $61,790 or less a year ($29.71 an hour); the top 10% make $131,900 or more.
Which state pays power plant operators the most?
Washington, with a median of $131,600 a year, followed by Nevada ($131,400) and New Jersey ($131,400).
Which city pays power plant operators the most?
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA, with a median of $145,500 a year.
How many power plant operators are there in the United States?
About 29,320 people work as power plant operators.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS): pay in May 2025, published by BLS in 2026. Hourly pay is the yearly figure divided by 2,080 hours.