SOC 51-8013 · Production Occupations
Power Plant Operators wages by metro
National median annual wage
$102,040
- 10th percentile
- $61,790
- 25th percentile
- $79,690
- Median
- $102,040
- 75th percentile
- $119,080
- 90th percentile
- $131,940
- Mean
- $99,790
Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.
National employment in May 2025: 29,320.
That median is 100.2% higher than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.
The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.
Highest published medians
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | 70 | $139,730 | $145,510 | $172,350 |
| Fresno, CA | 130 | $63,590 | $138,930 | $178,150 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Not available | $103,150 | $137,030 | $153,790 |
| Boise City, ID | 70 | $65,490 | $134,050 | $137,130 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 210 | $75,070 | $133,380 | $211,300 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 130 | $102,520 | $133,140 | $140,960 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 300 | $77,470 | $132,600 | $171,800 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 120 | $72,310 | $132,030 | $132,040 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 1,090 | $83,510 | $131,770 | $150,120 |
| Reno, NV | 60 | $73,750 | $129,020 | $145,440 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 100 | $100,710 | $126,190 | $135,450 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 90 | $80,270 | $124,950 | $182,420 |
| New Haven, CT | 50 | $90,880 | $123,840 | $133,390 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 640 | $88,910 | $123,540 | $128,690 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 170 | $103,430 | $122,020 | $134,770 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 90 | $59,430 | $119,550 | $119,550 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 260 | $76,770 | $119,380 | $127,880 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 120 | $68,060 | $119,080 | $138,260 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | 50 | $89,220 | $117,850 | $121,820 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | 60 | $60,210 | $115,920 | $134,990 |
Where employment is largest
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 1,090 | $83,510 | $131,770 | $150,120 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 640 | $68,550 | $103,900 | $130,850 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 640 | $88,910 | $123,540 | $128,690 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 540 | $73,140 | $105,870 | $134,040 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 530 | $53,680 | $104,620 | $125,030 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 470 | $74,420 | $99,000 | $126,000 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 380 | $47,840 | $62,080 | $120,090 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 310 | $77,320 | $101,350 | $128,560 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 300 | $79,340 | $108,050 | $132,290 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 300 | $77,470 | $132,600 | $171,800 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 290 | $55,230 | $84,690 | $133,460 |
| Syracuse, NY | 290 | $62,840 | $97,300 | $131,030 |
| Birmingham, AL | 280 | $78,710 | $106,990 | $120,660 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 270 | $60,150 | $98,060 | $124,580 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 260 | $76,770 | $119,380 | $127,880 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 240 | $54,710 | $106,720 | $138,490 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 240 | $59,260 | $92,320 | $131,250 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 230 | $104,110 | $111,260 | $111,260 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 230 | $67,120 | $110,410 | $128,430 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 220 | $68,970 | $109,820 | $122,110 |
States and territories
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 430 | $85,390 | $131,620 | $168,610 |
| Nevada | 250 | $71,760 | $131,400 | $141,600 |
| New Jersey | 300 | $83,510 | $131,370 | $131,940 |
| Idaho | 310 | $68,960 | $124,440 | $137,670 |
| North Dakota | 150 | $104,300 | $122,160 | $134,280 |
| Hawaii | 290 | $103,430 | $121,700 | $134,770 |
| Tennessee | 490 | $68,060 | $115,920 | $125,690 |
| Maryland | 330 | $85,120 | $111,260 | $122,030 |
| Oregon | 250 | $76,740 | $109,830 | $145,110 |
| North Carolina | 420 | $62,580 | $108,300 | $132,040 |
| Georgia | 590 | $58,660 | $107,580 | $124,670 |
| Utah | 420 | $77,440 | $107,120 | $126,190 |
| Alabama | 790 | $76,250 | $107,080 | $123,520 |
| Indiana | 1,190 | $76,700 | $107,000 | $123,540 |
| New York | 1,960 | $64,580 | $106,990 | $142,310 |
| Montana | 130 | $62,840 | $106,040 | $120,560 |
| Michigan | 1,220 | $74,520 | $105,820 | $131,250 |
| New Mexico | 130 | $46,350 | $105,510 | $121,690 |
| California | 2,610 | $63,510 | $105,210 | $171,800 |
| Illinois | 1,160 | $77,330 | $104,440 | $128,040 |
| Ohio | 730 | $69,180 | $104,160 | $119,170 |
| Delaware | 80 | $85,750 | $103,010 | $128,330 |
| Colorado | 250 | $76,900 | $102,780 | $137,720 |
| Texas | 2,100 | $55,500 | $102,510 | $127,710 |
| Mississippi | 450 | $65,770 | $102,400 | $125,690 |
| Missouri | Not available | $60,120 | $101,900 | $128,430 |
| Louisiana | 370 | $62,410 | $101,170 | $123,910 |
| Iowa | 470 | $63,320 | $100,500 | $109,690 |
| Massachusetts | 880 | $68,150 | $100,140 | $130,850 |
| Wyoming | 230 | $82,650 | $99,200 | $119,380 |
| Nebraska | 360 | $65,850 | $98,210 | $125,570 |
| Rhode Island | 50 | $69,570 | $98,050 | $134,120 |
| Arkansas | 220 | $62,000 | $97,760 | $102,650 |
| Connecticut | 250 | $76,110 | $97,460 | $131,410 |
| West Virginia | 170 | $57,180 | $97,210 | $119,990 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,010 | $64,010 | $95,800 | $128,180 |
| Minnesota | 970 | $72,540 | $94,390 | $125,900 |
| Florida | 1,640 | $47,840 | $94,290 | $126,330 |
| Kentucky | 690 | $66,830 | $93,400 | $118,400 |
| Alaska | 650 | $43,260 | $88,870 | $135,690 |
| Oklahoma | 520 | $55,390 | $88,590 | $107,640 |
| Arizona | 390 | $57,560 | $84,970 | $118,910 |
| New Hampshire | 90 | $58,010 | $81,070 | $128,510 |
| Maine | 190 | $61,220 | $81,060 | $106,910 |
| Kansas | 520 | $46,580 | $79,980 | $129,990 |
| South Carolina | 680 | $58,880 | $79,900 | $100,200 |
| Vermont | 140 | $49,110 | $78,240 | $127,790 |
| Virginia | 590 | $47,190 | $73,640 | $102,770 |
| Puerto Rico | 210 | $41,070 | $70,640 | $77,790 |
| Wisconsin | 420 | $54,960 | $66,080 | $118,270 |
| Guam | 60 | $56,210 | $61,230 | $79,960 |
Other production occupations
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
- Machinists
- Production Workers, All Other
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers
Questions this page answers
What is the national median wage for Power Plant Operators?
In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Power Plant Operators is $102,040. Employment is 29,320.
How does Power Plant Operators pay compare with all occupations?
The national median for Power Plant Operators is 100.2% higher than the all-occupations median of $50,980.
Which metro has the highest published median for Power Plant Operators?
Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA is highest on this page's list at $145,510.