Power Plant Operators
SOC code 51-8013 · Production Occupations
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $61,790 | $29.71 |
| 25th percentile | $79,690 | $38.31 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $102,040 | $49.06 |
| 75th percentile | $119,080 | $57.25 |
| 90th percentile | $131,940 | $63.44 |
See where a wage ranks
Estimate only, based on linear interpolation between this occupation's BLS OEWS reported percentiles above.
Wages by state (May 2024)
State-level employment and wage estimates for Power Plant Operators (SOC 51-8013), from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) State estimates, May 2024. Data available for 50 of 51 states/DC for this occupation.
| State | Employment | Mean annual | Median annual | 10th pctl annual | 25th pctl annual | 75th pctl annual | 90th pctl annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 730 | $97,030 | $103,640 | $61,320 | $77,830 | $109,050 | $123,480 |
| Alaska | 750 | $88,180 | $85,070 | $42,140 | $58,810 | $106,630 | $143,890 |
| Arizona | 890 | $98,940 | $107,210 | $63,750 | $86,890 | $112,100 | $112,100 |
| Arkansas | 240 | $85,580 | $88,860 | $58,780 | $67,100 | $99,330 | $106,610 |
| California | 2,390 | $110,380 | $105,520 | $61,320 | $77,630 | $136,640 | $168,180 |
| Colorado | 380 | $99,510 | $98,570 | $77,690 | $85,720 | $106,190 | $130,080 |
| Connecticut | 220 | $96,080 | $92,310 | $67,430 | $77,250 | $112,780 | $125,860 |
| Delaware | 70 | $104,450 | $101,790 | $82,970 | $97,350 | $120,150 | $120,150 |
| Florida | 1,330 | $89,110 | $84,030 | $56,060 | $66,560 | $107,010 | $129,140 |
| Georgia | 420 | $91,820 | $103,590 | $52,440 | $70,860 | $116,830 | $123,960 |
| Hawaii | 430 | $110,470 | $115,190 | $83,920 | $103,780 | $124,990 | $128,120 |
| Idaho | 280 | $103,470 | $102,750 | $65,480 | $81,520 | $124,410 | $134,390 |
| Illinois | 1,630 | $97,440 | $103,020 | $75,920 | $90,540 | $105,670 | $108,810 |
| Indiana | 900 | $95,740 | $102,730 | $70,160 | $76,950 | $107,010 | $121,980 |
| Iowa | 380 | $88,970 | $98,880 | $60,700 | $70,080 | $102,790 | $106,250 |
| Kansas | 500 | $84,650 | $89,630 | $36,490 | $53,190 | $109,810 | $127,100 |
| Kentucky | 550 | $84,620 | $87,330 | $49,180 | $74,530 | $98,220 | $108,040 |
| Louisiana | 570 | $89,230 | $94,500 | $47,850 | $84,920 | $101,050 | $114,270 |
| Maine | 150 | $79,540 | $78,080 | $60,610 | $63,000 | $90,270 | $102,190 |
| Maryland | 310 | $101,670 | $106,300 | $80,470 | $99,750 | $106,300 | $118,310 |
| Massachusetts | 1,060 | $97,430 | $102,080 | $64,750 | $78,140 | $109,940 | $126,750 |
| Michigan | 1,200 | $97,930 | $103,880 | $63,870 | $85,780 | $108,650 | $120,000 |
| Minnesota | 710 | $88,000 | $88,090 | $64,040 | $71,860 | $98,850 | $117,720 |
| Mississippi | 450 | $90,800 | $94,930 | $63,710 | $80,180 | $103,970 | $117,120 |
| Missouri | 760 | $87,020 | $86,240 | $56,840 | $61,430 | $106,960 | $120,100 |
| Montana | 130 | $96,350 | $102,610 | $54,410 | $88,720 | $107,270 | $115,830 |
| Nebraska | 240 | $98,690 | $98,760 | $57,930 | $87,350 | $110,920 | $138,080 |
| Nevada | 390 | $106,590 | $106,990 | $67,050 | $77,730 | $134,060 | $136,400 |
| New Hampshire | 150 | $76,550 | $72,370 | $51,180 | $59,470 | $87,650 | $108,980 |
| New Jersey | 210 | $106,940 | $109,970 | $80,970 | $85,660 | $122,580 | $123,670 |
| New Mexico | 130 | $85,230 | $98,690 | $41,930 | $66,000 | $105,410 | $105,410 |
| New York | 2,350 | $112,300 | $121,760 | $62,890 | $94,040 | $133,920 | $141,570 |
| North Carolina | 500 | $98,000 | $99,290 | $59,220 | $74,760 | $122,760 | $127,900 |
| North Dakota | 170 | $103,490 | $109,340 | $74,990 | $92,080 | $119,590 | $134,260 |
| Ohio | 630 | $92,090 | $97,810 | $65,250 | $75,930 | $103,160 | $107,270 |
| Oklahoma | 600 | $79,090 | $80,780 | $46,220 | $63,810 | $102,140 | $104,160 |
| Oregon | 200 | $110,550 | $114,500 | $73,460 | $96,190 | $132,110 | $140,660 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,380 | $87,100 | $85,260 | $56,270 | $77,700 | $99,850 | $115,550 |
| Rhode Island | 60 | $99,260 | $100,840 | $61,760 | $88,330 | $114,740 | $132,310 |
| South Carolina | 850 | $81,550 | $78,580 | $61,380 | $70,850 | $94,810 | $99,750 |
| South Dakota | 40 | $98,530 | $105,400 | $65,470 | $77,750 | $114,150 | $130,110 |
| Tennessee | 550 | $99,520 | $107,380 | $65,930 | $89,380 | $113,010 | $117,120 |
| Texas | 1,880 | $91,770 | $103,120 | $49,710 | $64,280 | $115,090 | $125,550 |
| Utah | 340 | $94,260 | $103,760 | $68,320 | $81,080 | $106,110 | $112,680 |
| Vermont | 130 | $93,810 | $98,260 | $47,480 | $78,880 | $102,390 | $129,180 |
| Virginia | 730 | $79,000 | $78,460 | $52,200 | $64,700 | $92,530 | $105,420 |
| Washington | 570 | $119,570 | $124,050 | $81,220 | $102,130 | $138,830 | $157,150 |
| West Virginia | 300 | $92,420 | $96,230 | $70,620 | $85,860 | $98,100 | $109,270 |
| Wisconsin | 660 | $86,680 | $81,250 | $56,790 | $61,050 | $111,670 | $120,040 |
| Wyoming | 210 | $104,300 | $105,330 | $86,660 | $99,380 | $118,460 | $123,200 |
Hourly by-state wages are in the source dataset but not rendered here (annual only, to keep this table a manageable width); see the source link below for the full file. BLS suppresses some state-level figures for reliability: an em dash (—) means BLS did not publish that figure for this state and occupation. Per BLS’s own field definitions: "*" = a wage estimate is not available; "**" = an employment estimate is not available; "#" = a wage equal to or greater than $115.00 per hour or $239,200 per year (all three are shown here as —, not guessed). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), State occupational employment and wage estimates, May 2024.
Similar-paying occupations in Production Occupations
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers 51-8012$106,730/yr
- Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers 51-8093$96,710/yr
- Gas Plant Operators 51-8092$87,820/yr
- Nuclear Power Reactor Operators 51-8011$122,890/yr
- Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators 51-8021$78,620/yr
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 estimates. Wage figures are BLS OEWS estimates and may not reflect current pay.