Power Plant Operator
E-03E Other Energy, solar and power lines jobs · Start level · O*NET 51-8013.00
- Texas median
whole occupation, 2025 - $102,510
- work over
40 h a week - 78%
- load index
from O*NET data - 3.2/5
- Texas jobs
2024 to 2034 - -13.2%
Pay
This level's pay
No published pay record names this level: no public record found in sources S1-S7 that names this rung. The occupation-wide figure below is for all experience levels.
Whole occupation: all Power Plant Operators, Texas BLS OEWS May 2025
- Series OEUS480000000000051801313 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
- Based on an estimated 2,100 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000051801301).
BLS OEWS May 2025
- Series OEUS480000000000051801313 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
- Based on an estimated 2,100 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000051801301).
Outlook 2024 to 2034, all Power Plant Operators, not level-specific TWC, BLS
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
TWC, BLS
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
- Texas
- -13.2% jobs · about 150 openings a year (1,970 jobs in 2024)
- United States
- -11.4% jobs · about 2,500 openings a year (31,600 jobs in 2024)
Openings include people retiring or changing jobs, not only growth.
Hours O*NET 31.0
- Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 08/2024, n = 18 respondents, O*NET OnLine
O*NET 31.0
- Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 08/2024, n = 18 respondents, O*NET OnLine
Schedule: regular 56% · irregular 44% · seasonal 0%
Physical load 3.2 of 5, our index from O*NET Method
- Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (2.5, 6 measures) and an exposure index (3.87, 7 measures), built from O*NET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
- O*NET OnLine
Method
- Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (2.5, 6 measures) and an exposure index (3.87, 7 measures), built from O*NET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
- O*NET OnLine
Body
- Standing3.22
- Walking or running2.99
- Climbing ladders2.42
- Bending or twisting2.4
- Kneeling or crawling2.1
- Keeping balance1.88
Exposure
- Hazardous conditions4.6
- Very hot or cold4.28
- High places4.24
- Outdoors, all weather4.11
- Hazardous equipment4.05
- Cramped space2.96
- Protective gear2.88
Getting in
- License
- Texas: no state electrician license for work on equipment controlled by an electric utility, co-op or power generation company (1305.003(a)(5)); the same work for a contractor needs a TDLR license.
- Degree
- 13% hold a bachelor's or higher; most common: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Experience
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years of related experience is the most common answer (47% of workers).
O*NET
- O*NET Related Work Experience, Power Plant Operators, O*NET OnLine
- Preparation
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Why this level
- Start: O*NET Job Zone 2 (1-2 start, 3-4 skilled, 5 senior).
Moves to the side 7
- R Stationary Engineer O*NET lists Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.91. License gate: not checked yet.
- E Biomass Plant Technician O*NET lists Biomass Plant Technicians as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.90.
- E Geothermal Technician O*NET lists Geothermal Technicians as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.89. License: depends on the work.
- E Hydroelectric Plant Operator O*NET lists Hydroelectric Plant Technicians as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.79.
What the work is 6 core tasks
Control, operate, or maintain machinery to generate electric power. Includes auxiliary equipment operators.
- Control generator output to match the phase, frequency, or voltage of electricity supplied to panels.
- Control power generating equipment, including boilers, turbines, generators, or reactors, using control boards or semi-automatic equipment.
- Take regulatory action, based on readings from charts, meters and gauges, at established intervals.
- Monitor power plant equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems.
- Start or stop generators, auxiliary pumping equipment, turbines, or other power plant equipment as necessary.
- Operate or maintain distributed power generation equipment, including fuel cells or microturbines, to produce energy on-site for manufacturing or other commercial purposes.
Core tasks ranked by O*NET task Importance (IM, 1-5), top 6.
Top skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Complex Problem Solving
- Monitoring
- Judgment and Decision Making
Sources (4)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, Texas, series OEUS480000000000051801313, read 2026-10-03
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), 51-8013.00 Power Plant Operators, read 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Engineer Tsai has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 · O*NET license
Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Base pay; excludes overtime. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034 (United States) and Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections 2024-2034, read through Projections Central.
