What are the main factors that influence a Plant Operator Trainee's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change a Plant Operator Trainee's salary?

A Plant Operator Trainee's salary grows with experience: starting around $81,319 for beginners, reaching about $86,083 at mid-level, and approach $89,282 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Plant Operator Trainee?

Plant Operator Trainee salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Plant Operator Trainee roles are District of Columbia $91,527, California $91,180, Massachusetts $89,965. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Plant Operator Trainee roles make?

Salaries for Plant Operator Trainee level roles vary by specialization: Utility Plant Operator: $82,722; Plant Operator: $79,183; Gas Plant Operator IV: $78,065; Gas Plant Operator III: $70,937; Power Plant Operator: $70,511.

How do different companies affect a Plant Operator Trainee's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Plant Operator Trainee roles. Large, established industry leaders like Consolidated Edison Company of New York Inc ($126,909) and GE Renewable Energy ($121,776) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $76,117.

Plant Operator Trainee Salary in the United States

How much does a Plant Operator Trainee make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Plant Operator Trainee in the United States is $82,666 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $40.

However, a Plant Operator Trainee's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $103,116
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $76,961 to $93,370
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $71,768

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Plant Operator Trainee Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$93,370	$7,781	$1,796	$45
Average	$82,666	$6,889	$1,590	$40
25th Percentile	$76,961	$6,413	$1,480	$37

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Check out Plant Operator Trainee Job Openings in the United States

Plant Operator

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Key Factors That Influence Plant Operator Trainee Salaries

A Plant Operator Trainee's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Plant Operator Trainee Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Plant Operator Trainee's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $81,319
Early Career (1-2 years): $82,269
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $86,083
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $88,927
Expert (over 8 years): $89,282

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Plant Operator Trainee	$81,319
Intermediate Level Plant Operator Trainee	$82,269
Senior Level Plant Operator Trainee	$86,083
Specialist Level Plant Operator Trainee	$88,927
Expert Level Plant Operator Trainee	$89,282

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Plant Operator Trainee Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Plant Operator Trainees. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $91,527.
California: $91,180.
Massachusetts: $89,965.

District of Columbia $91,527

California $91,180

Massachusetts $89,965

Washington $89,634

New Jersey $89,601

Alaska $89,485

Connecticut $88,345

New York $87,882

Hawaii $86,402

Rhode Island $85,708

Maryland $85,236

Minnesota $84,592

Colorado $84,344

Illinois $84,261

Oregon $83,947

Delaware $83,715

New Hampshire $83,570

Virginia $83,244

Pennsylvania $82,294

Nevada $81,814

North Dakota $81,657

Michigan $81,409

Wisconsin $81,318

Vermont $81,136

Texas $80,632

Maine $80,599

Arizona $80,549

Ohio $80,491

Georgia $79,731

Indiana $79,351

Wyoming $79,276

Utah $79,160

Iowa $79,111

Kansas $78,714

Louisiana $78,598

North Carolina $78,557

Missouri $78,540

Florida $78,218

Montana $78,044

Nebraska $77,879

Kentucky $77,788

South Carolina $77,458

Tennessee $77,251

Idaho $77,168

New Mexico $76,565

Oklahoma $76,433

Alabama $75,945

South Dakota $75,126

Arkansas $74,680

West Virginia $74,440

Mississippi $73,721

Top Paying Cities for Plant Operator Trainees

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $104,266
San Francisco: $103,241
Oakland: $100,951

San Jose, CA $104,266

San Francisco, CA $103,241

Oakland, CA $100,951

New York, NY $95,801

Queens Village, NY $95,181

Paramus, NJ $94,520

Passaic, NJ $94,437

Bergenfield, NJ $94,354

Stamford, CT $94,230

Huntington, NY $94,148

Newark, NJ $93,610

Bridgeport, CT $93,445

New Brunswick, NJ $93,172

Vallejo, CA $92,999

Middlesex, NJ $92,949

Somerset, NJ $92,875

Petaluma, CA $92,685

Santa Cruz, CA $92,362

Boston, MA $92,197

Monterey, CA $91,784

Fairbanks, AK $91,726

Los Angeles, CA $91,569

Washington, DC $91,527

Seattle, WA $91,378

Santa Rosa, CA $91,362

Juneau, AK $91,122

Orange, CA $90,849

Anchorage, AK $90,701

Anaheim, CA $90,643

Santa Ana, CA $90,519

Nassau, NY $90,469

Long Beach, CA $90,436

Danbury, CT $90,411

Santa Maria, CA $90,130

Everett, WA $90,114

Bremerton, WA $89,709

Trenton, NJ $89,552

Sacramento, CA $89,518

San Diego, CA $89,477

Brockton, MA $89,444

Tacoma, WA $89,411

Santa Barbara, CA $89,295

Lowell, MA $88,965

New Suffolk, NY $88,932

Nashua, NH $88,832

Lompoc, CA $88,700

Ventura, CA $88,617

Stockton, CA $88,593

New Haven, CT $88,427

Atlantic City, NJ $88,212

Hartford, CT $88,030

Modesto, CA $87,989

Poughkeepsie, NY $87,807

New Britain, CT $87,766

Olympia, WA $87,650

Kennewick, WA $87,650

New London, CT $87,634

Norwich, CT $87,609

Lawrence, MA $87,568

Bakersfield, CA $87,336

Riverside, CA $87,220

New Bedford, MA $87,220

Richland, WA $87,138

Portsmouth, NH $87,072

Vineland, NJ $87,055

San Bernardino, CA $86,989

Boulder, CO $86,757

Worcester, MA $86,691

Portland, OR $86,617

Saint Paul, MN $86,518

Minneapolis, MN $86,518

Philadelphia, PA $86,402

Honolulu, HI $85,964

Springfield, MA $85,675

Providence, RI $85,666

Chicago, IL $85,427

Bellingham, WA $85,327

Baltimore, MD $85,236

Chico, CA $85,030

Wilmington, DE $84,889

Pittsfield, MA $84,807

Manchester, NH $84,649

Spokane, WA $84,286

Denver, CO $84,277

Albany, NY $83,889

Troy, NY $83,856

Schenectady, NY $83,682

Burlington, VT $83,500

Portland, ME $83,211

Salem, OR $83,145

Yakima, WA $83,128

Ann Arbor, MI $83,104

Rochester, MN $82,872

Fresno, CA $82,831

Reno, NV $82,831

Milwaukee, WI $82,756

Detroit, MI $82,674

Allentown, PA $82,649

Carson City, NV $82,641

Houston, TX $82,517

Colorado Springs, CO $82,508

Syracuse, NY $82,467

Eugene, OR $82,310

Bismarck, ND $82,211

Gary, IN $82,211

Galveston, TX $82,211

Springfield, OR $82,145

Medford, OR $81,946

Fort Collins, CO $81,913

Austin, TX $81,847

Mesa, AZ $81,674

Phoenix, AZ $81,657

Dallas, TX $81,632

Reading, PA $81,583

Saint Cloud, MN $81,550

Concord, NH $81,475

Madison, WI $81,442

Utica, NY $81,219

Raleigh, NC $81,153

Las Vegas, NV $81,144

Rochester, NY $81,087

Des Moines, IA $81,078

Atlanta, GA $80,946

Battle Creek, MI $80,921

Salt Lake City, UT $80,896

Lancaster, PA $80,772

Champaign, IL $80,756

Harrisburg, PA $80,657

Durham, NC $80,582

Kansas City, MO $80,574

Kansas City, KS $80,558

Fort Worth, TX $80,549

Boca Raton, FL $80,516

Cleveland, OH $80,508

Columbus, OH $80,491

Pittsburgh, PA $80,483

Richmond, VA $80,450

Indianapolis, IN $80,434

Cincinnati, OH $80,326

Petersburg, VA $80,202

Billings, MT $80,020

Lansing, MI $80,020

Huntsville, AL $80,020

Lebanon, PA $80,012

Dayton, OH $80,004

Pueblo, CO $80,004

Appleton, WI $79,979

Buffalo, NY $79,946

Racine, WI $79,904

Charlotte, NC $79,896

Saint Louis, MO $79,871

Springfield, IL $79,838

Elkhart, IN $79,822

York, PA $79,822

Gastonia, NC $79,814

Benton Harbor, MI $79,814

Beaumont, TX $79,764

Lorain, OH $79,747

Toledo, OH $79,714

Binghamton, NY $79,673

Rock Hill, SC $79,665

Rockford, IL $79,623

Fargo, ND $79,582

Elyria, OH $79,582

Flagstaff, AZ $79,524

Fort Lauderdale, FL $79,475

Miami, FL $79,425

Duluth, MN $79,293

Bangor, ME $79,185

Cedar Rapids, IA $79,094

Louisville, KY $79,053

Grand Rapids, MI $79,036

Hialeah, FL $79,028

Casper, WY $78,912

Scranton, PA $78,813

New Orleans, LA $78,788

Virginia Beach, VA $78,780

Akron, OH $78,739

Peoria, IL $78,631

Sarasota, FL $78,615

Green Bay, WI $78,557

Baton Rouge, LA $78,516

Charleston, SC $78,499

Nashville, TN $78,474

Jamestown, NY $78,458

Davenport, IA $78,458

Tucson, AZ $78,416

Cheyenne, WY $78,392

Saint Petersburg, FL $78,367

Tampa, FL $78,350

Omaha, NE $78,334

Port Arthur, TX $78,301

Evansville, IN $78,301

Bradenton, FL $78,268

Santa Fe, NM $78,119

Orlando, FL $78,036

Clearwater, FL $77,945

Canton, OH $77,772

La Crosse, WI $77,772

Grand Forks, ND $77,747

Albuquerque, NM $77,722

Tulsa, OK $77,722

Newport News, VA $77,714

High Point, NC $77,689

Ogden, UT $77,656

Corpus Christi, TX $77,590

Laramie, WY $77,540

Norfolk, VA $77,540

Rock Island, IL $77,491

Saginaw, MI $77,474

Jacksonville, FL $77,466

Salisbury, NC $77,449

Memphis, TN $77,433

Moline, IL $77,391

Fort Myers, FL $77,367

Waterloo, IA $77,259

Spartanburg, SC $77,177

Lincoln, NE $77,135

Fort Wayne, IN $77,119

Birmingham, AL $77,028

Cedar Falls, IA $77,011

Provo, UT $77,003

Springfield, OH $76,995

San Antonio, TX $76,978

Greensboro, NC $76,945

South Bend, IN $76,937

Winston Salem, NC $76,929

Boise, ID $76,904

Savannah, GA $76,846

Muskegon, MI $76,697

Lima, OH $76,598

Lake Charles, LA $76,565

Anderson, IN $76,548

Lexington, KY $76,523

Augusta, GA $76,499

Greenville, SC $76,499

Wichita, KS $76,424

Tuscaloosa, AL $76,424

Columbia, SC $76,350

Bloomington, IN $76,143

Roanoke, VA $76,094

Asheville, NC $75,986

Knoxville, TN $75,846

Shreveport, LA $75,837

Wilmington, NC $75,730

Frankfort, KY $75,573

Oklahoma City, OK $75,515

Chillicothe, OH $75,482

Longview, TX $75,474

Topeka, KS $75,449

Mobile, AL $75,325

Terre Haute, IN $75,292

Erie, PA $75,283

Altoona, PA $75,242

Melbourne, FL $75,217

Amarillo, TX $75,184

Killeen, TX $75,159

Fayetteville, AR $75,093

Sioux Falls, SD $75,035

Chattanooga, TN $74,986

Idaho Falls, ID $74,978

Gainesville, FL $74,804

Portsmouth, OH $74,763

Little Rock, AR $74,746

Lynchburg, VA $74,746

Lafayette, LA $74,713

Youngstown, OH $74,713

Temple, TX $74,680

Daytona Beach, FL $74,663

Clarksville, TN $74,655

Pensacola, FL $74,647

Hopkinsville, KY $74,399

Charleston, WV $74,391

Florence, SC $74,349

Sioux City, IA $74,300

Macon, GA $74,060

Tallahassee, FL $74,052

Fayetteville, NC $74,035

Waco, TX $74,019

Wichita Falls, TX $74,019

Pine Bluff, AR $73,986

Vincennes, IN $73,829

Lubbock, TX $73,795

Great Falls, MT $73,746

Alamogordo, NM $73,738

Abilene, TX $73,671

Rapid City, SD $73,564

Monroe, LA $73,564

Albany, GA $73,514

Huntington, WV $73,506

Jackson, MS $73,498

Greenville, MS $73,490

Parkersburg, WV $73,407

Montgomery, AL $73,390

Johnstown, PA $73,374

Springfield, MO $73,308

Biloxi, MS $73,266

Sumter, SC $73,093

Columbus, GA $73,085

Twin Falls, ID $73,035

Pascagoula, MS $72,928

Kingsport, TN $72,713

Gulfport, MS $72,688

Alexandria, LA $72,415

Fort Smith, AR $72,208

El Paso, TX $71,985

Helena, MT $71,878

Las Cruces, NM $71,613

Harlingen, TX $71,382

Pocatello, ID $71,307

Florence, AL $71,282

Brownsville, TX $71,266

Dothan, AL $71,134

Mcallen, TX $71,092

Columbus, MS $70,481

Altus, OK $70,100

Lawton, OK $69,943

Pierre, SD $69,646

What Skills Can Increase a Plant Operator Trainee's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Troubleshooting (Mentioned in 4.86% Job Postings): 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.
Healthcare Facilities Management (Mentioned in 5.23% Job Postings): Developing and implementing facility plans and processes while coordinating assets, resources, and people to ensure excellent healthcare services.
Control Structure (Mentioned in 4.05% Job Postings): Control Structures are the blocks that analyze variables and choose directions in which to go based on given parameters.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Troubleshooting	4.86%
Healthcare Facilities Management	5.23%
Control Structure	4.05%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Plant Operator Trainee's salary.

Team Operations: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Mechanical Systems: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
HVAC: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Team Operations	$87,625	6%
Mechanical Systems	$85,972	4%
HVAC	$85,972	4%
Collaboration	$85,972	4%
Leadership	$85,145	3%
Standard Operating Procedures	$84,319	2%

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Plant Operator Trainee Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Plant Operator Trainee's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

$76,961

Average $82,666/year

$93,370

$6,413

Average $6,889/month

$7,781

$1,480

Average $1,590/week

$1,796

$37

Average $40/hour

$45

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$93,370	$7,781	$1,796	$45
Average	$82,666	$6,889	$1,590	$40
25th Percentile	$76,961	$6,413	$1,480	$37

Salaries of jobs related to Plant Operator Trainee

Salary Trends for Plant Operator Trainee

Salaries for a Plant Operator Trainee can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $75,087 in 2023 to around $74,263 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Plant Operator Trainee salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Plant Operator Trainee Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$75,087

2024

$74,908

2025

$74,263

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$75,087
2024	$74,908
2025	$74,263
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Plant Operator Trainee

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401(k)

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Healthcare

Pension

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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