Press Ctrl + D to bookmark Job Salaries.
Open your browser menu (⋮ or the share icon) and tap Bookmark or Add to Home Screen.
Feedback on Job Salaries
How Much Does a Power Plant Operator Make?
A power plant operator in the US earns a median salary of $102,040 a year, or $49.06 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $99,790, and the middle half earn between $79,690 and $119,080.
Power plant operator pay range
What power plant operators earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.
| Percentile | A year | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (lowest 10%) | $61,790 | $29.71 | |
| 25th | $79,690 | $38.31 | |
| Median (50th) | $102,040 | $49.06 | |
| 75th | $119,080 | $57.25 | |
| 90th (top 10%) | $131,940 | $63.44 |
The median is 100% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 29,320 people work as power plant operators in the US.
After tax and by period
- A week
- $1,962
- Every two weeks
- $3,925
- Twice a month
- $4,252
- A month
- $8,503
At the median salary, before tax.
Power plant operator salary by state
Sorted by average pay. Washington pays power plant operators the most, at $128,230 a year on average.
| State | Average | Median | Jobs | After tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $128,230 | $131,620 | 430 | After tax |
| New Jersey | $120,430 | $131,370 | 300 | After tax |
| Hawaii | $119,700 | $121,700 | 290 | After tax |
| North Dakota | $116,410 | $122,160 | 150 | After tax |
| Nevada | $115,780 | $131,400 | 250 | After tax |
| Oregon | $113,120 | $109,830 | 250 | After tax |
| Idaho | $112,490 | $124,440 | 310 | After tax |
| California | $110,960 | $105,210 | 2,610 | After tax |
| Delaware | $110,380 | $103,010 | 80 | After tax |
| Tennessee | $108,900 | $115,920 | 490 | After tax |
| New York | $108,880 | $106,990 | 1,960 | After tax |
| Colorado | $108,860 | $102,780 | 250 | After tax |
| Maryland | $107,840 | $111,260 | 330 | After tax |
| Utah | $106,170 | $107,120 | 420 | After tax |
| Michigan | $105,460 | $105,820 | 1,220 | After tax |
| Illinois | $103,620 | $104,440 | 1,160 | After tax |
| Indiana | $103,120 | $107,000 | 1,190 | After tax |
| Connecticut | $102,700 | $97,460 | 250 | After tax |
| Wyoming | $102,530 | $99,200 | 230 | After tax |
| Alabama | $102,330 | $107,080 | 790 | After tax |
| Rhode Island | $102,280 | $98,050 | 50 | After tax |
| North Carolina | $100,460 | $108,300 | 420 | After tax |
| New Mexico | $99,890 | $105,510 | 130 | After tax |
| Massachusetts | $99,500 | $100,140 | 880 | After tax |
| Montana | $99,440 | $106,040 | 130 | After tax |
| Georgia | $99,430 | $107,580 | 590 | After tax |
| Ohio | $98,700 | $104,160 | 730 | After tax |
| Nebraska | $97,900 | $98,210 | 360 | After tax |
| Louisiana | $97,610 | $101,170 | 370 | After tax |
| Texas | $97,000 | $102,510 | 2,100 | After tax |
| Mississippi | $96,620 | $102,400 | 450 | After tax |
| Pennsylvania | $96,280 | $95,800 | 1,010 | After tax |
| Minnesota | $95,700 | $94,390 | 970 | After tax |
| Kentucky | $93,970 | $93,400 | 690 | After tax |
| Iowa | $93,580 | $100,500 | 470 | After tax |
| Missouri | $93,560 | $101,900 | – | After tax |
| West Virginia | $93,210 | $97,210 | 170 | After tax |
| Arkansas | $90,450 | $97,760 | 220 | After tax |
| Florida | $89,890 | $94,290 | 1,640 | After tax |
| Alaska | $89,690 | $88,870 | 650 | After tax |
| Arizona | $89,350 | $84,970 | 390 | After tax |
| New Hampshire | $86,560 | $81,070 | 90 | After tax |
| Kansas | $85,850 | $79,980 | 520 | After tax |
| Oklahoma | $85,480 | $88,590 | 520 | After tax |
| Vermont | $85,450 | $78,240 | 140 | After tax |
| Maine | $83,380 | $81,060 | 190 | After tax |
| South Carolina | $80,990 | $79,900 | 680 | After tax |
| Wisconsin | $77,010 | $66,080 | 420 | After tax |
| Virginia | $74,290 | $73,640 | 590 | After tax |
| Puerto Rico | $65,860 | $70,640 | 210 | |
| Guam | $65,470 | $61,230 | 60 |
A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.
Other production jobs
- Miscellaneous assembler and fabricator $44,650 median
- First-line supervisor of production and operating workers $74,450 median
- Inspector, tester, sorter, sampler, and weigher $48,570 median
- Welder $53,750 median
- Packaging and filling machine operator and tender $43,220 median
- Machinist $58,750 median
- Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assembler $45,850 median
- Baker $37,160 median
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Power Plant Operators” (SOC 51-8013). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries
About the Job Salaries
Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.
How to use it
- 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
- 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
- 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
- 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a power plant operator make an hour?
The median hourly wage for a power plant operator is $49.06, and the average is $47.97. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $29.71 an hour and the top 10% over $63.44.
How much does a power plant operator make a month?
At the median salary of $102,040, a power plant operator earns about $8,503 a month before tax, or $3,925 every two weeks.
Which state pays power plant operators the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for a power plant operator, at $128,230 a year. Next are New Jersey and Hawaii. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.
What is the starting salary for a power plant operator?
The lowest-paid 10% of power plant operators earn less than $61,790 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $79,690. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.
How much do the highest-paid power plant operators make?
The top 10% earn more than $131,940 a year, and the top 25% more than $119,080.
Related tools
Take-Home Pay Calculator
Salary after tax in the UK, US (all states), Canada and Australia
Salary Converter
Hourly wage to monthly and yearly salary, and back
Minimum Wage by Country
Minimum wages per hour and month for 33 countries, in local money and US dollars
Percentage Calculator
Calculate percentages
Snow Day Calculator
Chance of a school snow day or delay tomorrow for any US ZIP code, from the NWS forecast
Sales Tax Calculator
Add or remove US sales tax with 2026 state and local rates for every state