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Power Plant Operators: apprenticeship hours and pay
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Approved apprenticeship titles
3 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Power Plant Operators, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 6,000 hours, for HYDROELECTRIC-STATION OPERATOR (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| HYDROELECTRIC-STATION OPERATOR | 0238 | Competency-Based: 6,000 hours Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Time-Based: 6,000 hours |
| POWER-PLANT OPERATOR | 0440 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| TURBINE OPERATOR | 0601 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What power plant operators earn, by state
Washington has the highest state median for power plant operators ($131,620) and Guam the lowest ($61,230), across the 51 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $131,620 | $63.28 | 430 |
| Nevada | $131,400 | $63.17 | 250 |
| New Jersey | $131,370 | $63.16 | 300 |
| Idaho | $124,440 | $59.83 | 310 |
| North Dakota | $122,160 | $58.73 | 150 |
| Hawaii | $121,700 | $58.51 | 290 |
| Tennessee | $115,920 | $55.73 | 490 |
| Maryland | $111,260 | $53.49 | 330 |
| Oregon | $109,830 | $52.80 | 250 |
| North Carolina | $108,300 | $52.07 | 420 |
| Georgia | $107,580 | $51.72 | 590 |
| Utah | $107,120 | $51.50 | 420 |
| Alabama | $107,080 | $51.48 | 790 |
| Indiana | $107,000 | $51.44 | 1,190 |
| New York | $106,990 | $51.44 | 1,960 |
| Montana | $106,040 | $50.98 | 130 |
| Michigan | $105,820 | $50.88 | 1,220 |
| New Mexico | $105,510 | $50.73 | 130 |
| California | $105,210 | $50.58 | 2,610 |
| Illinois | $104,440 | $50.21 | 1,160 |
| Ohio | $104,160 | $50.08 | 730 |
| Delaware | $103,010 | $49.53 | 80 |
| Colorado | $102,780 | $49.42 | 250 |
| Texas | $102,510 | $49.28 | 2,100 |
| Mississippi | $102,400 | $49.23 | 450 |
| Missouri | $101,900 | $48.99 | Not published |
| Louisiana | $101,170 | $48.64 | 370 |
| Iowa | $100,500 | $48.32 | 470 |
| Massachusetts | $100,140 | $48.14 | 880 |
| Wyoming | $99,200 | $47.69 | 230 |
| Nebraska | $98,210 | $47.22 | 360 |
| Rhode Island | $98,050 | $47.14 | 50 |
| Arkansas | $97,760 | $47.00 | 220 |
| Connecticut | $97,460 | $46.85 | 250 |
| West Virginia | $97,210 | $46.74 | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $95,800 | $46.06 | 1,010 |
| Minnesota | $94,390 | $45.38 | 970 |
| Florida | $94,290 | $45.33 | 1,640 |
| Kentucky | $93,400 | $44.90 | 690 |
| Alaska | $88,870 | $42.73 | 650 |
| Oklahoma | $88,590 | $42.59 | 520 |
| Arizona | $84,970 | $40.85 | 390 |
| New Hampshire | $81,070 | $38.98 | 90 |
| Maine | $81,060 | $38.97 | 190 |
| Kansas | $79,980 | $38.45 | 520 |
| South Carolina | $79,900 | $38.41 | 680 |
| Vermont | $78,240 | $37.62 | 140 |
| Virginia | $73,640 | $35.41 | 590 |
| Puerto Rico | $70,640 | $33.96 | 210 |
| Wisconsin | $66,080 | $31.77 | 420 |
| Guam | $61,230 | $29.44 | 60 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).