The highest-paying states 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 of power plant operators in those states are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with an annual salary of $112,420, Washington is the highest paying state for power plant operators. It is followed by Maryland (average annual salary $108,600). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of power plant operators in a specific state, use the links in the table.
| Rank | State | Average Salary i | Entry Level Salary i |
# of Empl. i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $112,420 |
$78,310 | 370 |
| 2 | Maryland | $108,600 |
$78,540 | 270 |
| 3 | Idaho | $107,790 |
$69,820 | 370 |
| 4 | New York | $106,910 |
$60,180 | 1,580 |
| 5 | North Dakota | $105,990 |
$75,030 | 290 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $104,740 |
$72,320 | 500 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $103,850 |
$65,280 | 300 |
| 8 | California | $102,070 |
$60,820 | 2,450 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $101,390 |
$63,230 | 560 |
| 10 | Arizona | $100,590 |
$63,710 | 820 |
| 11 | Alabama | $100,530 |
$64,360 | 710 |
| 12 | Oregon | $99,970 |
$60,400 | 190 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $99,020 |
$55,120 | 80 |
| 14 | Illinois | $98,060 |
$59,080 | 730 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $96,710 |
$63,180 | 260 |
| 16 | Michigan | $96,470 |
$71,150 | 1,750 |
| 17 | Colorado | $96,050 |
$66,150 | 500 |
| 18 | Georgia | $95,360 |
$50,850 | 780 |
| 19 | Missouri | $95,340 |
$44,470 | 740 |
| 20 | Indiana | $95,160 |
$64,830 | 1,410 |
| 21 | Iowa | $95,120 |
$53,930 | 270 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $94,690 |
$44,430 | 170 |
| 23 | Texas | $94,670 |
$49,800 | 3,860 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $94,440 |
$58,930 | 600 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $93,800 |
$80,420 | 260 |
| 26 | Montana | $93,060 |
$49,200 | 190 |
| 27 | Vermont | $91,600 |
$52,000 | 110 |
| 28 | Mississippi | $90,080 |
$65,410 | 410 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $90,010 |
$64,720 | 240 |
| 30 | Kansas | $86,960 |
$38,860 | 740 |
| 31 | Utah | $86,850 |
$63,460 | 390 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $86,330 |
$47,830 | 290 |
| 33 | Ohio | $83,700 |
$56,760 | 910 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $83,300 |
$44,920 | 510 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $82,430 |
$47,330 | 810 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $81,930 |
$61,270 | 1,090 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $80,910 |
$60,430 | 260 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $80,630 |
$53,390 | 200 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $80,310 |
$77,520 | 60 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $78,790 |
$34,900 | 380 |
| 41 | Alaska | $78,140 |
$31,200 | 780 |
| 42 | Florida | $77,500 |
$48,550 | 1,610 |
| 43 | Massachusetts | $76,970 |
$48,260 | 390 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $76,820 |
$49,810 | 630 |
| 45 | Nevada | $76,730 |
$62,490 | 290 |
| 46 | New Hampshire | $75,690 |
$51,790 | 190 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $71,640 |
$47,420 | 610 |
| 48 | Maine | $69,460 |
$57,990 | 240 |
| 49 | Virginia | $68,280 |
$44,100 | 350 |
| 50 | Delaware | $61,810 |
$43,600 | 40 |
| 51 | Puerto Rico | $54,060 |
$33,610 | 90 |