Explore by Career/Production
Power Plant Operators
Control, operate, or maintain machinery to generate electric power. Includes auxiliary equipment operators.
- Median pay
- $99,670
- per year
- 10-year outlook
- -11.2%
- Declining
- Typical entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
Key skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Operation and Control
- Equipment Maintenance
- Monitoring
- Repairing
- Speaking
- Troubleshooting
What they do
- Control generator output to match the phase, frequency, or voltage of electricity supplied to panels.
- Take regulatory action, based on readings from charts, meters and gauges, at established intervals.
- Control power generating equipment, including boilers, turbines, generators, or reactors, using control boards or semi-automatic equipment.
- Start or stop generators, auxiliary pumping equipment, turbines, or other power plant equipment as necessary.
- Monitor power plant equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems.
- Operate or maintain distributed power generation equipment, including fuel cells or microturbines, to produce energy on-site for manufacturing or other commercial purposes.
- Open and close valves and switches in sequence to start or shut down auxiliary units.
- Control or maintain auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, fans, compressors, condensers, feedwater heaters, filters, or chlorinators, to supply water, fuel, lubricants, air, or auxiliary power.
- Regulate equipment operations and conditions, such as water levels, based on instrument data or from computers.
- Inspect records or log book entries or communicate with plant personnel to assess equipment operating status.
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Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections) and O*NET, used under CC BY 4.0.