Occupational Employment Statistics

DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA

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 2026

Geography	Employment	Emp SE*	Percentiles
Geography	Employment	Emp SE*	Mean	10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
Minnesota	970	135	$47.06/hr	$35.68/hr	$40.03/hr	$46.42/hr	$48.75/hr	$61.91/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	790	$46.42/hr
Professional and Business Services	N/A	N/A
Public Administration	50	$39.33/hr

Other Regional Data for Power Plant Operators

Geography	Employment	Median Wage	Projections % Change 2024-2034
Northeast Balance of State	N/A	N/A	N/A
Southwest Balance of State	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
Rochester MN MSA	20	$46.72/hr	N/A
Southeast Minnesota	40	$46.72/hr	-7.3%
Southeast Balance of State	40	$42.80/hr	N/A
Southwest Minnesota	50	$42.80/hr	-9.5%
Northwest Minnesota	120	$46.00/hr	N/A
Northwest Balance of State	120	$46.00/hr	N/A
Central Minnesota	190	$48.75/hr	-11.3%
Duluth MN-WI MSA	220	$46.42/hr	N/A
Northeast Minnesota	280	$46.42/hr	-9.1%
Seven County Mpls-St Paul, MN	290	$43.82/hr	-15.1%
Minneapolis-St Paul-Bloomington MN-WI MSA	470	$48.69/hr	N/A
Minnesota	970	$46.42/hr	-11.9%

Related Occupations

Occupations	Employment	Median Wage	Projections % Change 2024-2034
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators	1,440	$37.30/hr	1.2%
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	1,760	$29.14/hr	-7.7%
Chemical Plant and System Operators	150	$32.70/hr	-8.0%
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gagers	550	$50.12/hr	-5.6%
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers	410	$25.87/hr	N/A
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	1,810	$28.12/hr	-11.5%

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.