How to Become a Power Plant Operator

Power plant operators work around the clock to keep communities powered up. Utility companies and government agencies need power plant operators to monitor equipment powered by coal, nuclear energy, hydroelectric energy, and wind and solar energy.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers earned a median annual salary of $89,090 in May 2020. Salaries often increase as power plant operators gain experience, participate in additional training, and continue their education.

The BLS projects power plant operator roles will decrease by 14% between 2020 and 2030. However, employers will still create 3,500 positions every year. New positions will open as power plant operators switch careers or retire, offsetting job losses from automation and a reduction in nuclear energy use.

Being a power plant operator offers a satisfying career and a good paycheck without a college degree. This guide details how you can become a power plant operator, including the educational and technical training requirements.

The career training needed to become a power plant operator depends on the work setting. According to the BLS, 71% of power plant operators work for utility companies, and another 16% hold positions at government agencies.

Power plant operators have physically demanding jobs. They must lift heavy objects, climb ladders, and stand or walk for long periods of time. They must check equipment in hot and cramped settings. Aside from the physical requirements, power plant operators also must complete mechanical training and meet other employment standards.

At a minimum, power plant operators must hold a high school diploma or GED certificate. A college degree or vocational training can set applicants apart from others in a hiring pool, but employers rarely require college experience.

Vocational schools and community colleges provide students with classroom and hands-on experience. Students learn nuclear and fossil fuel theory, as well as mechanical and maintenance skills. Courses may include preventative maintenance techniques, reading prints and schematics, and electrical principles. An associate degree program in power plant technology may allow students to take on shift work at the college power plant or local plant.

Employers commonly require background checks, fingerprinting, and drug tests because of the importance of a power plant operator’s job. Power plant operators oversee plant operations and maintain safety protocols. Their daily tasks include responding to issues to prevent power disruptions, but they have other essential responsibilities such as operating boilers, performing inspections and readings, and testing water chemistry.

Working as a power plant operator also requires solid computer skills and an aptitude for math and science. Some workers may arrive on the job with firefighting or military experience. Operators who work in nuclear power must obtain a license through the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Power plant operators can gain training at vocational schools and community colleges by earning certificates or associate degrees. However, most power plant operators gain their training outside of the classroom. Schools give students a foundation in practical measurements, scientific principles, mechanical technologies and maintenance, electrical principles, electric and steam power generation plants, and electrical power transmission and distribution.

It takes years of work experience to become a power plant operator, a position responsible for maintaining equipment, taking practical measurements, responding to emergency alarms, interpreting blueprints, reading meters and gauges, and recording voltage and electricity flows. Specific training depends on if the power plant operator works in gas, coal, nuclear, solar, or hydroelectric power.

As they gain more experience, power plant operators can advance and become shift supervisors, power plant mechanics, and consultants.