Power Plant Operators pay in the U.S.
$99,790avg. a year
$47.97 an hour · 29,320 employed
Power Plant Operators in the U.S. earn an average of $99,790 a year and a median of $102,040. Pay is highest in Washington ($128,230) and lowest in Virginia ($74,290).
$102,040Median pay
$47.97Average hourly
+22%Avg. pay since 2020
29,320Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for power plant operators
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1430 jobs
Washington
$128,230
$61.65 an hour
2300 jobs
New Jersey
$120,430
$57.90 an hour
3290 jobs
Hawaii
$119,700
$57.55 an hour
4150 jobs
North Dakota
$116,410
$55.97 an hour
5250 jobs
Nevada
$115,780
$55.66 an hour
6250 jobs
Oregon
$113,120
$54.38 an hour
7310 jobs
Idaho
$112,490
$54.08 an hour
82,610 jobs
California
$110,960
$53.35 an hour
980 jobs
Delaware
$110,380
$53.07 an hour
10490 jobs
Tennessee
$108,900
$52.36 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Power Plant Operators pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $93k$93k–$99k$99k–$108k$108k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $135,310 | $65.05 |
| Fresno, CA | $131,280 | $63.12 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $130,890 | $62.93 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $126,340 | $60.74 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $123,810 | $59.53 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $123,140 | $59.20 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $119,210 | $57.31 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $116,150 | $55.84 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Power Plant Operators pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $102,330 | $107,080 | 790 |
| Alaska | $89,690 | $88,870 | 650 |
| Arizona | $89,350 | $84,970 | 390 |
| Arkansas | $90,450 | $97,760 | 220 |
| California | $110,960 | $105,210 | 2,610 |
| Colorado | $108,860 | $102,780 | 250 |
| Connecticut | $102,700 | $97,460 | 250 |
| Delaware | $110,380 | $103,010 | 80 |
| Florida | $89,890 | $94,290 | 1,640 |
| Georgia | $99,430 | $107,580 | 590 |
| Hawaii | $119,700 | $121,700 | 290 |
| Idaho | $112,490 | $124,440 | 310 |
| Illinois | $103,620 | $104,440 | 1,160 |
| Indiana | $103,120 | $107,000 | 1,190 |
| Iowa | $93,580 | $100,500 | 470 |
| Kansas | $85,850 | $79,980 | 520 |
| Kentucky | $93,970 | $93,400 | 690 |
| Louisiana | $97,610 | $101,170 | 370 |
| Maine | $83,380 | $81,060 | 190 |
| Maryland | $107,840 | $111,260 | 330 |
| Massachusetts | $99,500 | $100,140 | 880 |
| Michigan | $105,460 | $105,820 | 1,220 |
| Minnesota | $95,700 | $94,390 | 970 |
| Mississippi | $96,620 | $102,400 | 450 |
| Missouri | $93,560 | $101,900 | – |
| Montana | $99,440 | $106,040 | 130 |
| Nebraska | $97,900 | $98,210 | 360 |
| Nevada | $115,780 | $131,400 | 250 |
| New Hampshire | $86,560 | $81,070 | 90 |
| New Jersey | $120,430 | $131,370 | 300 |
| New Mexico | $99,890 | $105,510 | 130 |
| New York | $108,880 | $106,990 | 1,960 |
| North Carolina | $100,460 | $108,300 | 420 |
| North Dakota | $116,410 | $122,160 | 150 |
| Ohio | $98,700 | $104,160 | 730 |
| Oklahoma | $85,480 | $88,590 | 520 |
| Oregon | $113,120 | $109,830 | 250 |
| Pennsylvania | $96,280 | $95,800 | 1,010 |
| Rhode Island | $102,280 | $98,050 | 50 |
| South Carolina | $80,990 | $79,900 | 680 |
| Tennessee | $108,900 | $115,920 | 490 |
| Texas | $97,000 | $102,510 | 2,100 |
| Utah | $106,170 | $107,120 | 420 |
| Vermont | $85,450 | $78,240 | 140 |
| Virginia | $74,290 | $73,640 | 590 |
| Washington | $128,230 | $131,620 | 430 |
| West Virginia | $93,210 | $97,210 | 170 |
| Wisconsin | $77,010 | $66,080 | 420 |
| Wyoming | $102,530 | $99,200 | 230 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$123,810
1,090 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$102,800
640 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$116,150
640 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$105,840
540 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$93,920
530 jobsMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
$100,020
470 jobsMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
$73,000
380 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$103,780
310 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do power plant operators make?
The average is $99,790 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $102,040 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $47.97, and the median is $49.06 an hour.
Which state pays power plant operators the most?
Washington, with an average of $128,230 a year. The best-paying metro area is Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA at $135,310.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $61,790 a year, and the top 10% earn over $131,940.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 51-8013. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.