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Career Exploration

Power Plant Operators

Also called: Auxiliary Operator, Control Operator, Control Room Operator, Plant Control Operator

What they do:

Control, operate, or maintain machinery to generate electric power. Includes auxiliary equipment operators.

On the job, you would:
  • Adjust controls to generate specified electrical power or to regulate the flow of power between generating stations and substations.
  • Monitor power plant equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems.
  • Control generator output to match the phase, frequency, or voltage of electricity supplied to panels.
On the job, you'll need:

Engineering and Technology

  • mechanical

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Basic Skills

  • thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem
  • talking to others

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Verbal

  • listen and understand what people say
  • communicate by speaking

Ideas and Logic

  • notice when problems happen
  • use rules to solve problems

Attention

  • pay attention to something without being distracted
  • do two or more things at the same time

Realistic

People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.

  • Dependability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Self Control
  • Adaptability/Flexibility
  • Independence

Electronic mail software

  • Email software
  • Microsoft Outlook

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint

Industrial control software

  • Distributed control system DCS
  • Yokogawa FAST/TOOLS

Video courtesy of CareerOneStop.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this position is Below Average.

New job opportunities are less likely in the future.

Median Annual Salary: $93,060

Education

High school diploma/GED or certificate after high school is usually needed.