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Power Plant Operators in West Virginia
Is West Virginia a good place for you to work as a Power Plant Operator?
- Power Plant Operators in West Virginia earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.
How Many Power Plant Operators Work in West Virginia?
In 2018, there were 500 Power Plant Operators working in the state.
There were 570 Power Plant Operators employed in this state in 2017.
That’s a decline of 70 jobs between 2017 and 2018.
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The amount of Power Plant Operators working in the state is similar to the average state.
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Job Projections for West Virginia
Jobs for Power Plant Operators in this state are not projected to grow or decrease, but nationwide they are growing at a rate of 1.1%.
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West Virginia Annual Job Openings
The BLS estimates 50 annual job openings, and a total of 560 jobs for West Virginia Power Plant Operators in 2026.
Nationwide, the prediction is 3,200 annual jobs and 36,500 total jobs in 2026.
What do Power Plant Operators Make in West Virginia?
In 2018 wages for Power Plant Operators ranged from $40,360 to $92,430 with $68,800 being the median annual salary.
Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $19.4 to $44.44. The median hourly rate was $33.08.
Workers in this field were paid a median of $34.87 an hour in 2017.
The hourly rate declined by $1.79.
The median salary in West Virginia is higher than the nationwide median salary.
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Top West Virginia Metros for Power Plant Operators
The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Power Plant Operators.
Metro | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 240 | $93,530 |
Wheeling, WV-OH | 100 | $45,140 |
Top States for Power Plant Operators Employment
View the list below to see where most Power Plant Operators work.
State | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
---|---|---|
California | 3,670 | $95,340 |
Texas | 2,530 | $76,520 |
New York | 1,850 | $90,690 |
Michigan | 1,640 | $78,850 |
Florida | 1,620 | $74,250 |
Pennsylvania | 1,540 | $73,720 |
Ohio | 1,280 | $73,260 |
North Carolina | 1,180 | $85,980 |
Illinois | 1,110 | $77,510 |
Massachusetts | 990 | $80,590 |
Minnesota | 990 | $84,830 |
Missouri | 910 | $76,100 |
Colorado | 780 | $82,030 |
Kentucky | 720 | $87,520 |
Georgia | 680 | $71,480 |
Wisconsin | 660 | $64,030 |
Alabama | 660 | $68,360 |
Tennessee | 620 | $80,970 |
Kansas | 590 | $53,020 |
Indiana | 560 | $66,750 |
Below are the states where Power Plant Operators get paid the most:
State | Annual Median Salary |
---|---|
California | $95,340 |
Washington | $93,330 |
Hawaii | $92,620 |
North Dakota | $92,350 |
Maryland | $91,770 |
New York | $90,690 |
New Jersey | $88,110 |
Kentucky | $87,520 |
Nevada | $87,460 |
North Carolina | $85,980 |
Related Careers in West Virginia
You may also be interested in the following careers:
Occupation | West Virginia Employment Total |
---|---|
Power Distributors and Dispatchers | 210 |
References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
More about our data sources and methodologies.