Power Plant Operators Salary
The median pay for a power plant operators in Cedar Rapids, IA is $104,920/year ($50.44/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $104K at the entry level to $105K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.96), which stretches that salary to about $117,941 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $956/month, or 14.4% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $105K actually covers in Cedar Rapids, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cedar Rapids’s Regional Price Parity (88.96). 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 Cedar Rapids
Power plant operators pay in Cedar Rapids tracks closely to the national median, $105K locally vs. $102K nationwide, a 3% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $956/month, 15% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.96 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for power plant operators in metros near Cedar Rapids, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $101K | $110K |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $77K | $88K |
| St. Louis | $102K | $107K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $124K | $119K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cedar Rapids, IA
Entry-level power plant operators (10th percentile) start around $104K. Mid-career wages sit at $105K. Top earners bring in $105K or more, a $1K 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 Cedar Rapids numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a power plant operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cedar Rapids?
Yes — at the median salary of $105K, rent takes 15% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $956/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for power plant operators in Cedar Rapids?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new power plant operators typically earn — is $104K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,331/month. At HUD’s $956/month FMR, rent would take 15% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is power plant operator a high-paying job in Cedar Rapids?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $105K locally vs. $102K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Cedar Rapids compare to the national average for power plant operators?
Cedar Rapids pays $105K median vs. the U.S. average of $102K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $118K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do power plant operators make in Cedar Rapids, IA?
The median is $104,920 a year, that works out to about $50 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $103,890, and experienced power plant operators can clear $104,920. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $105K enough to live in Cedar Rapids?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,387/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $956/month, which eats 15% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a power plant operators salary go in Cedar Rapids?
Cedar Rapids has a Regional Price Parity of 88.96 (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 $117,941 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.