occupation · 51-8013 · detailed
Power Plant Operators — wages and employment
Power Plant Operators earned a median annual wage of $99,670 in the United States in May 2024, with 30,720 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Power Plant Operators earned a median annual wage of $99,670 in the United States in May 2024, with 30,720 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $59,930 or less, the best-paid tenth $128,760 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $97,010 to $99,670, +2.7 %. The best-paying state is Washington at $124,050; the lowest Puerto Rico at $63,270. Among metropolitan areas, Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA pays the highest median, $156,260. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 30,720 | $99,670 | $95,990 | $59,930 | $77,400 | $111,980 | $128,760 | $47.92 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 31,490 | $97,010 | $91,880 | $54,080 | $72,860 | $106,780 | $123,120 | $46.64 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $124,050 | 570 |
| New York | $121,760 | 2,350 |
| Hawaii | $115,190 | 430 |
| Oregon | $114,500 | 200 |
| New Jersey | $109,970 | 210 |
| North Dakota | $109,340 | 170 |
| Tennessee | $107,380 | 550 |
| Arizona | $107,210 | 890 |
| Nevada | $106,990 | 390 |
| Maryland | $106,300 | 310 |
| California | $105,520 | 2,390 |
| South Dakota | $105,400 | 40 |
| Wyoming | $105,330 | 210 |
| Michigan | $103,880 | 1,200 |
| Utah | $103,760 | 340 |
| Alabama | $103,640 | 730 |
| Georgia | $103,590 | 420 |
| Texas | $103,120 | 1,880 |
| Illinois | $103,020 | 1,630 |
| Idaho | $102,750 | 280 |
| Indiana | $102,730 | 900 |
| Montana | $102,610 | 130 |
| Massachusetts | $102,080 | 1,060 |
| Delaware | $101,790 | 70 |
| Rhode Island | $100,840 | 60 |
| North Carolina | $99,290 | 500 |
| Iowa | $98,880 | 380 |
| Nebraska | $98,760 | 240 |
| New Mexico | $98,690 | 130 |
| Colorado | $98,570 | 380 |
| Vermont | $98,260 | 130 |
| Ohio | $97,810 | 630 |
| West Virginia | $96,230 | 300 |
| Mississippi | $94,930 | 450 |
| Louisiana | $94,500 | 570 |
| Connecticut | $92,310 | 220 |
| Kansas | $89,630 | 500 |
| Arkansas | $88,860 | 240 |
| Minnesota | $88,090 | 710 |
| Kentucky | $87,330 | 550 |
| Missouri | $86,240 | 760 |
| Pennsylvania | $85,260 | 1,380 |
| Alaska | $85,070 | 750 |
| Florida | $84,030 | 1,330 |
| Wisconsin | $81,250 | 660 |
| Oklahoma | $80,780 | 600 |
| South Carolina | $78,580 | 850 |
| Virginia | $78,460 | 730 |
| Maine | $78,080 | 150 |
| New Hampshire | $72,370 | 150 |
| Puerto Rico | $63,270 | 160 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $156,260 | 180 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $140,800 | 50 |
| Fresno, CA | $136,640 | 150 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $136,300 | 60 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $133,460 | 140 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $128,340 | 1,250 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $127,190 | 50 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $122,490 | 100 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $120,990 | 150 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $118,520 | 290 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $118,490 | 110 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $112,680 | 50 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $110,990 | 100 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $110,450 | 270 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $110,190 | — |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $108,730 | — |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $108,460 | 60 |
| Decatur, AL | $108,040 | 50 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $108,000 | 160 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $107,790 | 360 |
Machine access — free, no API key
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