National Salary Info » Power Plant Operators

Highest Paying Industries for Power Plant Operators

The top 58 highest paying industries for power plant operators (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $105,740, transportation and warehousing is the highest paying industry for power plant operators. It is followed by natural gas distribution industry (average annual salary $100,860). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of power plant operators in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 58 Highest Paying Industries for Power Plant Operators

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Transportation and Warehousing	$105,740	$67,330	30
2	Natural Gas Distribution	$100,860	$66,500	670
3	Outpatient Care Centers	$95,860	$60,010	n/a
4	Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction	$81,180	$51,890	n/a
5	Utility System Construction	$81,180	$51,890	n/a
6	Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	$81,180	$51,890	n/a
7	Construction	$81,180	$51,890	n/a
8	Federal government, including USPS	$79,580	$77,400	540
9	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$79,580	$77,400	540
10	Water, Sewage and Other Systems	$75,280	$44,740	190
11	Utilities	$71,260	$48,440	30,210
12	Ambulatory Health Care Services	$70,980	$63,140	n/a
13	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$70,920	$48,190	29,350
14	Waste Treatment and Disposal	$70,830	$52,200	280
15	Waste Management and Remediation Services	$70,800	$52,280	280
16	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$69,620	$46,070	440
17	Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills	$69,440	$43,620	330
18	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$69,010	$41,620	230
19	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$68,890	$54,480	50
20	Paper Manufacturing	$68,830	$43,880	340
21	Health Care and Social Assistance	$67,360	$41,610	910
22	Temporary Help Services	$67,350	$33,720	130
23	Employment Services	$67,350	$33,720	130
24	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$66,550	$37,020	6,310
25	Federal, State, and Local Government	$66,550	$37,020	6,310
26	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$66,010	$40,850	580
27	Hospitals - Privately owned	$66,010	$40,850	580
28	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$65,960	$42,550	180
29	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$65,660	$39,970	600
30	Administrative and Support Services	$65,260	$34,840	160
31	Mining	$65,040	$34,110	80
32	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$65,030	$35,430	5,060
33	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$64,900	$35,400	5,100
34	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$64,410	$38,880	650
35	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$63,830	$35,730	7,070
36	Food Manufacturing	$60,630	$49,680	110
37	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$60,400	$38,360	n/a
38	Engineering Services	$60,380	$37,900	n/a
39	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$60,280	$49,820	n/a
40	Manufacturing	$60,170	$42,130	800
41	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$57,390	$34,710	180
42	Educational Services - Privately owned	$57,390	$34,710	180
43	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$57,260	$40,210	710
44	Chemical Manufacturing	$56,450	$42,470	180
45	Commercial and Industrial Machinery Equipment (except Auto and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance	$54,350	$48,510	n/a
46	Repair and Maintenance	$54,350	$48,510	n/a
47	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$54,350	$48,510	n/a
48	State government, including schools and hospitals	$51,950	$33,670	1,430
49	Educational Services	$48,740	$31,690	850
50	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$48,490	$31,590	830
51	Sawmills and Wood Preservation	$48,190	$33,040	50
52	Primary Metal Manufacturing	$48,120	$41,130	30
53	Educational Services - State government owned	$47,380	$30,680	670
54	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$47,030	$30,500	650
55	Wood Product Manufacturing	$46,400	$32,930	50
56	Hospitals - State government owned	$46,020	$28,180	50
57	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - State government owned	$45,520	$28,040	50
58	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals	$45,520	$28,040	50