Power Plant Operators
SOC 51-8013 · 2024-2034
Control, operate, or maintain machinery to generate electric power. Includes auxiliary equipment operators.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
Shrinking -15.4%
California projects this job will shrink over the next ten years. Fewer openings may mean a harder search.
What California expects of this job
- Typical pay in California
- $107,611per year
- Projected openings
- 1,900
- Projected change
- -15.4%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) | $160,319 | 150 |
| Fresno MSA (Fresno and Madera Counties) | $140,189 | 140 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $112,627 | 240 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $108,525 | 50 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) | $105,796 | 60 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region (Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono, and Tuolumne Counties) | $102,772 | 90 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $97,180 | 170 |
| Bakersfield-Delano MSA (Kern County) | $96,390 | 140 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $96,103 | 80 |
| North Coast Region (Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino Counties) | $79,585 | 70 |
| El Centro MSA (Imperial County) | $69,397 | 40 |
| Chico MSA (Butte County) | Not reported | 30 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | Not reported | 140 |
What the pay actually ranges across
- The lowest-paid tenth earn under
- $64,959
- A quarter earn under
- $82,102
- Half earn under
- $107,611
- Three quarters earn under
- $135,626
- The highest-paid tenth earn over
- $175,720
A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| Occupation | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators | $92,718 | 7,340 | +6.6% |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other | $52,679 | 27,340 | +2.1% |
| Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | $105,606 | 2,680 | -11.4% |
| Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators | $83,636 | 10,010 | -2.6% |