Occupational Employment Statistics

DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA

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51-8013 Power Plant Operators

Occupational Description:
Control, operate, or maintain machinery to generate electric power. Includes auxiliary equipment operators. Excludes “Nuclear Power Reactor Operators" (51-8011).

Occupational Employment Statistics(OES) Wage Data
First Quarter 2025

Geography	Employment	Emp SE*	Percentiles
Geography	Employment	Emp SE*	Mean	10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
Southwest Minnesota	60	11	$43.47/hr	$31.30/hr	$31.94/hr	$41.17/hr	$57.36/hr	$57.54/hr
Minnesota	710	88	$43.01/hr	$31.30/hr	$35.12/hr	$43.05/hr	$48.31/hr	$57.54/hr
U S	30,720	645	$46.91/hr	$29.29/hr	$37.83/hr	$48.71/hr	$54.73/hr	$62.92/hr

Leading Industries for Power Plant Operators

Industry	OES Employment (Statewide)	OES Median Wage (Statewide)
Natural Resources and Mining	N/A	N/A
Manufacturing	N/A	N/A
Trade, Transportation and Utilities	540	$43.19/hr
Professional and Business Services	N/A	N/A
Leisure and Hospitality	N/A	N/A
Public Administration	40	$41.17/hr

Other Regional Data for Power Plant Operators

Geography	Employment	Median Wage	Projections % Change 2022-2032
Northwest Minnesota	N/A	N/A	N/A
Grand Forks ND-MN MSA	N/A	N/A	N/A
La Crosse WI-MN MSA	N/A	N/A	N/A
Mankato-North Mankato MN MSA	N/A	N/A	N/A
St Cloud MN MSA	N/A	N/A	N/A
Northwest Balance of State	N/A	N/A	N/A
Northeast Balance of State	N/A	N/A	N/A
Southwest Balance of State	N/A	N/A	N/A
Rochester MN MSA	20	$45.32/hr	N/A
Southeast Balance of State	40	$44.46/hr	N/A
Southeast Minnesota	50	$48.31/hr	-7.3%
Southwest Minnesota	60	$41.17/hr	-9.5%
Duluth MN-WI MSA	100	$39.69/hr	N/A
Central Minnesota	110	$47.33/hr	-11.3%
Northeast Minnesota	160	$39.75/hr	-9.1%
Seven County Mpls-St Paul, MN	220	$39.53/hr	-15.1%
Minneapolis-St Paul-Bloomington MN-WI MSA	320	$41.31/hr	N/A
Minnesota	710	$43.05/hr	-10.7%

Related Occupations

Occupations	Employment	Median Wage	Projections % Change 2022-2032
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators	1,540	$35.95/hr	3.3%
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	1,480	$25.15/hr	3.5%
Chemical Plant and System Operators	110	$31.48/hr	3.0%
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gagers	570	$48.24/hr	-4.9%
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers	N/A	$25.08/hr	1.4%
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	1,510	$25.97/hr	4.5%

Task for Power Plant Operators

Operate high-pressure steam boiler or water chiller equipment for electrical cogeneration operations.
Clean work areas to ensure compliance with safety regulations.
Operate equipment to heat biomass, using knowledge of controls, combustion, and firing mechanisms.
Record or report operational data, such as readings on meters, instruments, and gauges.
Perform tests of water chemistry in boilers.
Operate biomass fuel-burning boiler or biomass fuel gasification system equipment in accordance with specifications or instructions.
Monitor power plant equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems.
Control power generating equipment, including boilers, turbines, generators, or reactors, using control boards or semi-automatic equipment.
Clean, lubricate, or maintain equipment, such as generators, turbines, pumps, or compressors, to prevent failure or deterioration.
Adjust controls to generate specified electrical power or to regulate the flow of power between generating stations and substations.