Power Plant Operators Salary
The median pay for a power plant operators in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX is $85,350/year ($41.03/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $59K at the entry level to $140K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.07), that's roughly $87,030 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,852/month, about 32.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $85K get you in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos’s Regional Price Parity (98.07). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About power plant operators
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What this looks like in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Pay for power plant operators in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $102K. Rent runs $1,852/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.07) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for power plant operators in metros near Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $105K | $106K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $107K | $104K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $111K | $117K |
| Longview | $100K | $112K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Entry-level power plant operators (10th percentile) start around $59K. Mid-career wages sit at $85K. Top earners bring in $140K or more, a $81K spread from bottom to top.
Power Plant Operators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Power Plant Operators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $132K | +29% | 430 |
| Nevada | $131K | +29% | 250 |
| New Jersey | $131K | +29% | 300 |
| Idaho | $124K | +22% | 310 |
| North Dakota | $122K | +20% | 150 |
| Hawaii | $122K | +19% | 290 |
| Tennessee | $116K | +14% | 490 |
| Maryland | $111K | +9% | 330 |
| Oregon | $110K | +8% | 250 |
| North Carolina | $108K | +6% | 420 |
| Georgia | $108K | +5% | 590 |
| Utah | $107K | +5% | 420 |
| Alabama | $107K | +5% | 790 |
| Indiana | $107K | +5% | 1,190 |
| New York | $107K | +5% | 1,960 |
| Montana | $106K | +4% | 130 |
| Michigan | $106K | +4% | 1,220 |
| New Mexico | $106K | +3% | 130 |
| California | $105K | +3% | 2,610 |
| Illinois | $104K | +2% | 1,160 |
| Ohio | $104K | +2% | 730 |
| Delaware | $103K | +1% | 80 |
| Colorado | $103K | +1% | 250 |
| Texas | $103K | +0% | 2,100 |
| Mississippi | $102K | +0% | 450 |
| Missouri | $102K | -0% | N/A |
| Louisiana | $101K | -1% | 370 |
| Iowa | $101K | -2% | 470 |
| Massachusetts | $100K | -2% | 880 |
| Wyoming | $99K | -3% | 230 |
| Nebraska | $98K | -4% | 360 |
| Rhode Island | $98K | -4% | 50 |
| Arkansas | $98K | -4% | 220 |
| Connecticut | $97K | -4% | 250 |
| West Virginia | $97K | -5% | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $96K | -6% | 1,010 |
| Minnesota | $94K | -7% | 970 |
| Florida | $94K | -8% | 1,640 |
| Kentucky | $93K | -8% | 690 |
| Alaska | $89K | -13% | 650 |
| Oklahoma | $89K | -13% | 520 |
| Arizona | $85K | -17% | 390 |
| New Hampshire | $81K | -21% | 90 |
| Maine | $81K | -21% | 190 |
| Kansas | $80K | -22% | 520 |
| South Carolina | $80K | -22% | 680 |
| Vermont | $78K | -23% | 140 |
| Virginia | $74K | -28% | 590 |
| Wisconsin | $66K | -35% | 420 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track power plant operators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a power plant operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $85K, rent takes 32.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,852/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for power plant operators in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new power plant operators typically earn — is $59K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,557/month. At HUD’s $1,852/month FMR, rent would take 52% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is power plant operator a high-paying job in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $85K here vs. $102K nationally.
How does Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos compare to the national average for power plant operators?
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos pays $85K median vs. the U.S. average of $102K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.07), the purchasing-power equivalent is $87K — below the national median.
How much do power plant operators make in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX?
The median is $85,350 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,280, and experienced power plant operators can clear $139,890. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $85K enough to live in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,702/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,852/month, which eats 32.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a power plant operators salary go in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos has a Regional Price Parity of 98.07 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median power plant operators salary is worth about $87,030 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do power plant operators get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.