Average Power Plant Operators Salary in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ

BLS did not publish a wage for power plant operators in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ in the latest release, but in 2021 the local median hourly wage was $21.83. There are 660 workers employed locally today.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates for Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ (metro area).

No annual salary published for this location. BLS does not publish an annual wage estimate for power plant operators in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ. This is common for occupations where most work is project-based, hourly, or on irregular schedules (actors, athletes, musicians, dancers). No wage figures were published at all for this location in the latest release.

Local employment

Workers tracked locally: 660
How common this job is here: 1.41×; More concentrated here than nationally — this metro area is unusually strong in this occupation.

The last time BLS reported wages here

The latest release does not include a wage figure for power plant operators in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ, but earlier releases did. Here is the most recent year with a published wage.

Last reporting year: 2021
Median hourly wage (2021): $21.83/hr
Median annual wage (2021): $45,400

This data is from the 2021 BLS release. Recent figures may differ — small-sample suppression is common for this occupation.

Where power plant operators earn the most per hour

Locations where BLS did publish hourly wage data for power plant operators this release, ranked highest to lowest.

By hourly wage

Top-paying states

Washington: $59.64/hr
New York: $58.54/hr
Hawaii: $55.38/hr
Oregon: $55.05/hr
New Jersey: $52.87/hr
North Dakota: $52.57/hr
Tennessee: $51.63/hr
Arizona: $51.54/hr

By hourly wage

Top-paying metros

Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA: $75.13/hr
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA: $67.69/hr
Fresno, CA: $65.69/hr
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA: $65.53/hr
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: $64.16/hr
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: $61.70/hr
Kahului-Wailuku, HI: $61.15/hr
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY: $58.89/hr

National job outlook

BLS publishes national employment projections for power plant operators from 2024 to 2034. These projections are national and not broken down by state.

Projected growth: -11.2%; -3,500 net jobs over the projection period
Annual openings: 2,500; Includes growth plus replacements
Typical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent

Related occupations

Other jobs in the same field. Many of these follow similar hourly or project-based pay patterns.