Power Plant Operators Salary
$33.5K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$28.5K - $33.5K
25% of jobs
$33.5K - $38.5K
14% of jobs
The median wage is $42.4K / yr.
$38.5K - $43.5K
14% of jobs
$43.5K - $48.5K
16% of jobs
$51.6K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$48.5K - $53.5K
11% of jobs
$53.5K - $58.5K
8% of jobs
$58.5K - $63.5K
5% of jobs
$63.5K - $68.5K
3% of jobs
$68.5K - $73.5K
2% of jobs
$73.5K - $78.5K
2% of jobs
$78.5K - $83.5K
1% of jobs
$28.5K
$42.5K
$82.5K
$46,521
/year
$22.37
/hour
Power Plant Operators Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$46,521
Columbus
Ohio
$44,934
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How much does a Power Plant Operators make?
As of Aug 29, 2026, the average annual pay for a Power Plant Operators in the United States is $46,521 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $22.37 an hour. This is the equivalent of $894/week or $3,876/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $82,500 and as low as $28,500, the majority of Power Plant Operators salaries currently range between $34,000 (25th percentile) to $52,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $67,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Power Plant Operators varies greatly (by as much as 18500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Power Plant Operators in your area makes on average $44,934 per year, or $1,587 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $46,521. Ohio ranks number 39 out of 50 states nationwide for Power Plant Operators salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Power Plant Operators jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Power Plant Operators on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Power Plant Operators Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Power Plant Operators job is above the national average. Topping the list is Kentville, NS, , with Whitehorse, YT, and Haines Junction, YT, close behind in the second and third positions. Haines Junction, YT, beats the national average by $37,264 (80.1%), and Kentville, NS, furthers that trend with another $38,139 (82.0%) above the $46,521 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Power Plant Operators appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 4% between Kentville, NS, and West Kelowna, BC, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Power Plant Operators role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Kentville, NS | $84,660 | $40.70 |
Whitehorse, YT | $84,121 | $40.44 |
Haines Junction, YT | $83,785 | $40.28 |
North Cowichan, BC | $83,538 | $40.16 |
Duncan, BC | $83,217 | $40.01 |
Oak Bay, BC | $83,066 | $39.94 |
Alberton, PE | $81,942 | $39.40 |
Courtenay, BC | $81,721 | $39.29 |
Saint John, NB | $81,184 | $39.03 |
West Kelowna, BC | $80,999 | $38.94 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Power Plant Operators Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Power Plant Operators category.
For example Vice President Wastewater Treatment Plant jobs pay as much as $138,961 (298.7%) more than the average Power Plant Operators salary of $46,521. If you're qualified, finding work as a Vice President Wastewater Treatment Plant may help you make more money than that of the average Power Plant Operators position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Vice President Wastewater Treatment Plant | $185,482 | $89.17 |
Water Plant Operator Trainee | $57,354 | $27.57 |
Sewage Treatment Plant Operator | $55,272 | $26.57 |
Plant Worker | $38,460 | $18.49 |
Brunswick County Employee | $26,192 | $12.59 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
