Power plant operators
SOC Code: 51-8013
Power plant operators carries a 22% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $99,670 and -11.2% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 31,600 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 22% AI exposure, Power plant operators sits 15 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 9% of them. It ranks among the more AI-resilient roles in the dataset.
Career outlook score
60/100
Power plant operators, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage A $99,670
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -11.2%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A+ 22% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Power plant operators in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry on a declining BLS line
Typical entry is HS / some college (333/832) while growth is Declining (111/832). This is the crowded high-risk corner of the map - automation and headcount pressure compound without a degree moat.
Where Power plant operators sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Power plant operators sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
22% Among the lowest lower than 91% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Power plant operators vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Power plant operators is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Power plant operators's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 51-8013) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Power plant operators be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Power plant operators. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Operate biomass fuel-burning boiler or biomass fuel gasification system equipment in accordance with specifications or instructions.
- 2. Control generator output to match the phase, frequency, or voltage of electricity supplied to panels.
- 3. Perform tests of water chemistry in boilers.
- 4. Operate high-pressure steam boiler or water chiller equipment for electrical cogeneration operations.
- 5. Take regulatory action, based on readings from charts, meters and gauges, at established intervals.
- 6. Control power generating equipment, including boilers, turbines, generators, or reactors, using control boards or semi-automatic equipment.
- 7. Start or stop generators, auxiliary pumping equipment, turbines, or other power plant equipment as necessary.
- 8. Monitor power plant equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems.
- 9. Operate equipment to heat biomass, using knowledge of controls, combustion, and firing mechanisms.
- 10. Operate equipment to start, stop, or regulate biomass-fueled generators, generator units, boilers, engines, or auxiliary systems.
Key Skills Required
- Critical Thinking
- Operations Monitoring
- Equipment Maintenance
- Operation and Control
- Monitoring
- Repairing
- Troubleshooting
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
Knowledge Areas
- Mechanical
- Public Safety and Security
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
- Education and Training
- Design
- Computers and Electronics
- English Language
- Physics
- Building and Construction
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Power plant operators?
Power plant operators has an AI exposure score of 22%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Power plant operators?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Power plant operators is projected to decline by 11.2% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 31,600 workers.
What skills are needed for Power plant operators?
Key skills for Power plant operators include Critical Thinking, Operations Monitoring, Equipment Maintenance, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Power plant operators earn?
The median annual wage for Power plant operators is $99,670, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Power plant operators?
The typical entry-level education for Power plant operators is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Long-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Power plant operators?
Power plant operators roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Power plant operators: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (22% here).
- Exercise physiologists · AI exposure 22%
- Hearing aid specialists · AI exposure 22%
- Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners · AI exposure 22%
- Logging equipment operators · AI exposure 22%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-11.2% here).
- Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders · growth -11.2%
- Sewing machine operators · growth -10.8%
- Tool and die makers · growth -10.8%
- Interviewers, except eligibility and loan · growth -11.6%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 81 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Power plant operators' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Power plant operators side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).