Power Plant Operators Salary in the US
A power plant operators earns a national median of $102,040 a year (mean $99,790) — BLS OEWS May 2025, ranked #126 of 825.
How much does a power plant operators earn in the US?
A power plant operators in the United States earns a median of $102,040 a year (mean $99,790), per BLS OEWS May 2025. That is 100% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. About 29,320 people work in this occupation (SOC 51-8013), ranked #126 of 825 by national median pay. Updated annually from BLS OEWS.
Median
$102,040
per year
Mean
$99,790
per year
Employment
29,320
US workers
National rank
#126
of 825 by median
What a power plant operators earns in the US
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 national estimates, a power plant operators (SOC 51-8013) earns a median annual wage of $102,040 and a mean (average) of $99,790. The median is the midpoint — half of power plant operators earn more and half earn less — and is 100% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. The mean is higher than the median when a minority of very high earners pull the average up.
Note: BLS top-codes any annual wage at or above $239,200/year, so occupations at that ceiling share the same figure.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average salary for a power plant operators in the US?
- The BLS OEWS May 2025 national annual median wage for power plant operators is $102,040, and the mean (average) is $99,790. The median is the midpoint — half of power plant operators earn more and half earn less.
- How does power plant operators pay compare to the US average?
- At $102,040, a power plant operators earns 100% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The all-occupations US median is $50,980.
- How many power plant operators are employed in the US?
- BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates about 29,320 power plant operators employed nationally (SOC 51-8013), across all industries.
- Where does this power plant operators salary data come from?
- From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 national release — cross-industry, all-ownership estimates, SOC code 51-8013. As US federal government work it is public domain. GeraJobs publishes the figures verbatim; suppressed cells are shown as "—", never estimated.
Compare nearby occupations
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay$103,020
- Physical Therapists$102,760
- Financial and Investment Analysts$102,740
- Industrial Engineers$102,440
- Project Management Specialists$102,320
- Geographers$102,040
- Special Effects Artists and Animators$102,030
- Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers$101,920
- Management Analysts$101,860
- Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary$101,420
- Nuclear Medicine Technologists$101,370
- Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other$101,110
Find power plant operators jobs with salary ranges
GeraJobs lists live US vacancies with employer-stated salary ranges — see which power plant operators roles pay above the BLS benchmark.
Data source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) · May 2025 national estimates · SOC 51-8013 · Public domain (U.S. federal government work)
Published verbatim by GeraJobs. Last updated: 2026-06-27. ← All US salaries