Headline risk
16%
Moderate RiskPower plant operators
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Control, operate, or maintain machinery to generate electric power. Includes auxiliary equipment operators.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 2% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 99,670
Employment 2024
31.6K
Projected Change (2024–34)
-11.2%
Openings (2024–34)
2.5K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Overall employment of power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers is projected to grow 10 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Operate biomass fuel-burning boiler or biomass fuel gasification system equipment in accordance with specifications or instructions. AI use: 0%
- 2. Monitor power plant equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems. AI use: 0%
- 3. Start or stop generators, auxiliary pumping equipment, turbines, or other power plant equipment as necessary. AI use: 0%
- 4. Operate equipment to start, stop, or regulate biomass-fueled generators, generator units, boilers, engines, or auxiliary systems. AI use: 0%
- 5. Control or maintain auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, fans, compressors, condensers, feedwater heaters, filters, or chlorinators, to supply water, fuel, lubricants, air, or auxiliary power. AI use: 0%
- 6. Open and close valves and switches in sequence to start or shut down auxiliary units. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 41.6 · 118K employed
Under 25: 10% · 25–54: 69% · 55+: 21%
Related
No direct US role match is available yet for this occupation.
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
title_match · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers control the systems that generate and distribute electric power.
Most power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. They typically work rotating 8- or 12-hour shifts.
Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers typically need at least a high school diploma or the equivalent to enter the occupation. Once hired, they typically receive extensive on-the-job training. Nuclear power reactor operators also need a license.
The median annual wage for power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers was $103,600 in May 2024.
Overall employment of power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers is projected to grow 10 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.