The median hourly wage for Power Plant Operators in California is $47.1/hour, based on 2024 BLS data.
Data: BLS OEWS 2024 • California hourly wage data • Updated 2026-04-06
| Percentile | Hourly Rate | Weekly (×40h) | Monthly (×173.3h) | Annual (×2,080h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-Level (P10) | $28.49 | $1140 | $4938 | $59,250 |
| Q1 (P25) | $35.84 | $1434 | $6212 | $74,550 |
| Median (P50) | $47.1 | $1884 | $8164 | $97,970 |
| Q3 (P75) | $62.7 | $2508 | $10868 | $130,410 |
| Senior (P90) | $75.41 | $3016 | $13072 | $156,860 |
Note: Weekly = hourly × 40 hours. Monthly = hourly × 173.3 hours (avg). Annual = hourly × 2,080 hours.
The median hourly wage for Power Plant Operators in California is $47.1/hour (2024 BLS data). This equals approximately $97,970.0 per year based on 2,080 work hours.
The median hourly rate for Power Plant Operators in California is $47.1/hr compared to the national average of $45.12/hr — higher by $1.98/hr.
Entry-level Power Plant Operators professionals in California earn approximately $28.49/hour (10th percentile), which equals $59,250.0/year. Senior-level professionals earn $75.41/hour.
Senior-level Power Plant Operators professionals in California (90th percentile) earn approximately $75.41/hour, or $156,860.0/year.
Hourly wages are calculated by dividing annual salary by 2,080 hours (52 weeks × 40 hours/week). This is the standard full-time conversion used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Hourly wage data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024. This data reflects median and percentile wages for Power Plant Operators (SOC 518013) in California.