Description
Control, operate, or maintain machinery to generate electric power. Includes auxiliary equipment operators.
Interests
- Realistic
- Conventional
Work Values
- Support
- Relationships
- Independence
Work Styles
- Dependability
- Analytical Thinking
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Adaptability/Flexibility
Tasks
- Control generator output to match the phase, frequency, or voltage of electricity supplied to panels.
- Take regulatory action, based on readings from charts, meters and gauges, at established intervals.
- Control power generating equipment, including boilers, turbines, generators, or reactors, using control boards or semi-automatic equipment.
- Start or stop generators, auxiliary pumping equipment, turbines, or other power plant equipment as necessary.
- Monitor power plant equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems.
Work Activities
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
- Getting Information
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
Detailed Work Activities
- Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
- Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
- Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
- Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
- Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
Technology Skills
- Electronic mail software
- Presentation software
- Industrial control software
- Analytical or scientific software
- Data base user interface and query software
Abilities
- Oral Comprehension
- Problem Sensitivity
- Deductive Reasoning
- Near Vision
- Oral Expression
Skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Active Listening
Knowledge
- Mechanical
- Public Safety and Security
- English Language
- Production and Processing
- Chemistry
Most Common Education Level
The “Most Common Education Level” refers to the level of education held by the majority of workers in a given occupation. For example, if the highest percentage of workers in a role have an Associate’s Degree, that suggests this is the typical educational requirement. Knowing this helps you plan how many years of education you may need to pursue that career.
Certificates
Certificate name
Certified System Operator - Balancing and InterchangeCertifying Organization
North American Electric Reliability Corporation
Type
Advanced
Certificate name
System Operator CertificationCertifying Organization
North American Electric Reliability Corporation
Type
Advanced
Certificate name
High Capacity Fossil Fuel Fired Plant (Boiler) OperatorCertifying Organization
American Society of Mechanical Engineers International
Type
Advanced
Certificate name
Nuclear Power Plant Operator - Pressurized Water ReactorsCertifying Organization
United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Type
Advanced
Certificate name
Key Account Certificate ProgramCertifying Organization
American Public Power Association
Type
Core
Income Percentile
The income percentiles show how earnings are distributed within a profession. The 10th percentile means that 10% of workers earned less than that amount. The median (50th percentile) indicates that half of workers earned more, and half earned less. The 90th percentile reflects what the top 10% of earners in the field make.
Income Percentile | Annual Income |
---|---|
Low (10%) | $63,919 |
Median (50%) | $102,041 |
High (90%) | $161,097 |
Income by Experience
This table shows how income typically grows with experience—from entry level (0–2 years), to mid-level (3–5 years), to senior level (6–8 years), to expert level (8+ years).
Experience | Income |
---|---|
Entry Level | $67,992 |
Mid Level | $92,963 |
Senior Level | $121,948 |
Expert Level | $145,304 |
Employability
There are currently 32,400 jobs in this career path. Over the next 10 years, that number is expected to decrease to 29,300 positions, reflecting a projected decline of -9%.
The Projected Job Growth figure refers to the expected increase or decrease in employment within a specific career field over a certain period of time.
Projected Job Growth of -9%
Related Careers
The career information and data on this site incorporates information from O*NET Web Services, Lightcast, CareerOneStop, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). For more details regarding the data sources and the specific information sourced, click here.