As of March 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Power Plant Operator I in the United States is $73,207. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $61,308 to $90,036, with most professionals earning between $50,475 and $105,358.
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $90,036 | $7,503 | $1,731 | $43 |
| Average | $73,207 | $6,101 | $1,408 | $35 |
| 25th Percentile | $61,308 | $5,109 | $1,179 | $29 |
An entry-level Power Plant Operator I with less than 1 year of experience earns about $71,449. With 1-2 years of experience, the average salary increases to $74,063. For 2-4 years of experience, the pay typically rises to $76,545. Senior-level professionals with 5-8 years of experience earn around $77,289, and those with over 8 years of experience can expect an average of $77,786.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Power Plant Operator I | $71,449 |
| Intermediate Level Power Plant Operator I | $74,063 |
| Senior Level Power Plant Operator I | $76,545 |
| Specialist Level Power Plant Operator I | $77,289 |
| Expert Level Power Plant Operator I | $77,786 |
| Entry Level | 2% |
| Mid Level | 1% |
| Senior Level | 5% |
| Top Level | 6% |
| Experienced | 6% |
Salaries in the United States differ widely between states due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.
What Am I Worth?
Salaries in the United States can vary greatly between cities due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.
As of March 01, 2025, our research reveals a significant shift in Power Plant Operator I compensation over the past six years. For example, the median salary increased from $65,898 in 2023 to approximately $65,759 in 2024. (For a detailed analysis of Power Plant Operator I salary trends, click here.)
Key factors like location, experience, industry demand, and economic growth significantly influence salary variations, making them important to consider.
Salary.com job board provides millions of Power Plant Operator I information for you to search for. Click on search button below to see Power Plant Operator I job openings or enter a new job title here.
Here are companies hiring for Power Plant Operator I and their salaries, click below for more details.
| Core Compensation | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Base Salary | $73,207 | 66.8% | ||
| Bonus | $4,115 | 3.8% | ||
| Value of Benefits | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Social Security | $5,915 | 5.4% | ||
| 401K/403B | $3,093 | 2.8% | ||
| Disability | $773 | 0.7% | ||
| Healthcare | $7,986 | 7.3% | ||
| Pension | $4,949 | 4.5% | ||
| Time Off | $9,516 | 8.7% | ||
| Total Compensation | $109,554 | 100% | ||
The average annual salary of Power Plant Operator I is $73,207. In case you are finding an easy salary calculator, the average hourly pay of Power Plant Operator I is $35; the average weekly pay of Power Plant Operator I is $1,408; the average monthly pay of Power Plant Operator I is $6,101.
A Power Plant Operator I's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Power Plant Operator I earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Power Plant Operator I is $91,874.
The highest pay for Power Plant Operator I is $105,358.
The lowest pay for Power Plant Operator I is $50,475.
Power Plant Operator I monitors and maintains plant equipment to ensure that power plant power delivery operations function within specification. Controls and repairs power generating facilities and systems to produce bioenergy, hydro, nuclear, solar, thermal or wind power, etc. May require an associate degree. Being a Power Plant Operator I typically reports to a supervisor. The Power Plant Operator I possesses a moderate understanding of general aspects of the job. Works under the close direction of senior personnel in the functional area. May require 0-1 year of general work experience.
Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.
Troubleshooting: Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system. It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process operational again. Troubleshooting is needed to identify the symptoms. Determining the most likely cause is a process of elimination—eliminating potential causes of a problem. Finally, troubleshooting requires confirmation that the solution restores the product or process to its working state. In general, troubleshooting is the identification or diagnosis of "trouble" in the management flow of a system caused by a failure of some kind. The problem is initially described as symptoms of malfunction, and troubleshooting is the process of determining and remedying the causes of these symptoms. A system can be described in terms of its expected, desired or intended behavior (usually, for artificial systems, its purpose). Events or inputs to the system are expected to generate specific results or outputs. (For example, selecting the "print" option from various computer applications is intended to result in a hardcopy emerging from some specific device). Any unexpected or undesirable behavior is a symptom. Troubleshooting is the process of isolating the specific cause or causes of the symptom. Frequently the symptom is a failure of the product or process to produce any results. (Nothing was printed, for example). Corrective action can then be taken to prevent further failures of a similar kind.
Transportation: Refers to the mode of travel used to get from home to work most frequently. The transportation are bus, train, aeroplane, ship, car, etc while the mode of transportation refers to road, air, sea/ocean, etc.
Renewable Energy: Using renewable energy sources for more sustainable business operations to drive environmental risk and cost reduction.
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