How much do Power Plant Operators make in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

Percentile spread

For Power Plant Operators, the published 10th percentile is $62,830 and the 90th percentile is $131,090. The difference is $68,260, which is 69.0% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $79,700 to the 75th at $127,670, covers $47,970.

The mean annual wage is $104,340, which sits above the median of $98,950. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA median is 3% lower than the national median of $102,040 for Power Plant Operators. In 2024 national prices the local median is $89,610, which is 12.2% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 6% lower than the California median of $105,210.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is 110.423, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $98,950 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Power Plant Operators at $89,610 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

5 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Power Plant Operators. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ranks 5th of 6 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Stockton-Lodi, CA is 71 miles away, with a median of $102,940 and employment of 30. That median is 4% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $97,955, against $89,610 here.
• San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA is 78 miles away, with a median of $132,600 and employment of 300. That median is 34% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $114,693, against $89,610 here.
• Fresno, CA is 94 miles away, with a median of $138,930 and employment of 130. That median is 40.4% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $135,995, against $89,610 here.

Employment share

Power Plant Operators accounts for 0.00% of wage-and-salary employment in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (50 of 1,134,970). Nationally the occupation is 0.02% of employment (29,320 of 155,495,730). The local share is 0.23 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.