Power Plant Operators by the numbers
- MEDIAN WAGE
- $102,040 /year
- JOB GROWTH 2024–34
- -11.2% (US avg +3.1%)
- US EMPLOYMENT
- 29,320 jobs
- AI HORIZON (THEORETICAL)
- 42 /100
Across all measured AI usage (dataset-wide, not specific to this occupation), about 43% is automation — AI doing a task — while 57% is augmentation, AI assisting a person.
Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34 · Anthropic Economic Index (CC-BY) · Felten et al. AIOE · Methodology
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Frequently asked questions
Will AI replace Power Plant Operators?
No data source can answer that with certainty — what we can measure is overlap. Power Plant Operators score 12/100 on observed AI exposure (how much of the job's tasks appear in real AI usage today) and 42/100 on theoretical exposure as tools improve. High exposure historically means tasks get reshaped and redistributed rather than jobs simply disappearing.
How much do Power Plant Operators earn in the US?
The national median wage for Power Plant Operators is $102,040 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is the job market for Power Plant Operators growing or shrinking?
BLS projects employment for Power Plant Operators to change by -11.2% between 2024 and 2034 (national average: +3.1%). About 29,320 people held this job in 2024.
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