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Power Plant Operators

General Information

Description

Control, operate, or maintain machinery to generate electric power. Includes auxiliary equipment operators.

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Workplace at a Glance

What you can expect to experience while on the job

  • Responsibility
  • Exposure to job hazards
  • Physical activity
  • Decision making
  • Repetitiveness
  • Level of competition
  • Time pressure

Industry areas

  • Manufacturing

Job Outlook

Projected Job Growth (2021 - 2031)
-15%
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Job Outlook

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Overall employment of power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers is projected to decline 15 percent from 2021 to 2031. Despite decliningemployment, about 3,200 openings for power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

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Salary

Average Salary

Salary

$80,850

Military salary*

$61,814

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State-by-state Salary

Gray states indicate no data available

$104,110
$38,290
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Education & Interests

Most Common Education Levels

People in this career achieve this level of education.

  • High school 73%
  • Post-secondary certificate 20%
  • Associate's degree 3%
  • Some college 1%
  • Master's degree 0%
  • Doctoral degree 0%
  • Bachelor's degree 0%
  • Post baccalaureate 0%
  • Less than high school 0%
  • Post-doctoral training 0%
  • Post-master's certificate 0%
  • First professional degree 0%

Related College Majors

Select major to see colleges that offer it

PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS

You may find this career fulfilling if you consider yourself to be:

  • Realistic — You have an interest in physically working with equipment, materials or structures.
  • Conventional — You have an interest in following procedures and regulations to organize information or data.

Not sure what characteristics best describe you? Take the RIASEC Test.

Skills at a Glance

Skills helpful in this career

  • Verbal skills
  • Critical thinking & problem solving
  • Equipment operation & maintenance
  • Math & science skills
  • Technology design & control
  • Leadership

Knowledge

  • Mechanical
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Education and Training

Gain insights into your knowledge by using the ASVAB Career Exploration Program

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* Military pay may be higher based on specialty pays or bonuses. Learn more about Military benefits.

Data supplied by Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center of Education Statistics, Defense Manpower Data Center (View our update schedule). Contact any business, college or military service branch to answer additional questions.