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power plant technology

Types of Degrees power plant technology Majors Are Earning

Those studying power plant technology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1
Associate’s Degree	46
Bachelor’s Degree	27
Master’s Degree	10

What power plant technology Majors Need to Know

Programs in power plant technology build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that power plant technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing power plant technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mechanical — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Physics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a power plant technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Operation and Control — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to power plant technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, power plant technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.1 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.1 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.8 / 7
Processing Information	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by power plant technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software	Industrial control software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Distributed control system DCS	Industrial control software	—
Operating system software	Operating system software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for power plant technology graduates include:

• Power Generation Technician (Power Generation Tech)
• Hydroelectric Plant Operator
• Power Plant Operator
• Hydroelectric Operator
• Power Plant Technician (Power Plant Tech)
• Plant Operator
• Auxiliary Operator
• Hydro Plant Operator
• Production Generalist
• Water Plant Operator
• Station Tender
• Hydroelectric Station Operator
• Coal Gasification Technician (Coal Gasification Tech)
• Auxiliary Power Equipment Operator
• Landfill Gas Systems Monitor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to power plant technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	36.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	22.8%
Postsecondary certificate	21.6%
Bachelor’s degree	8.4%
Some college courses	8.1%
Less than a high school diploma	1.3%
Master’s degree	0.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in power plant technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 94% of power plant technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	5	6.0%
Men	79	94.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of power plant technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	65	77.4%
Hispanic or Latino	4	4.8%
Black or African American	4	4.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	3.6%
Two or More Races	6	7.1%
Race Unknown	2	2.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do power plant technology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of power plant technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$64,973
4 years	$59,663
5 years	$66,892

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $66,892 — roughly 3% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online power plant technology Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for power plant technology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	1
Bachelor’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in power plant technology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, power plant technology graduates earn a median of $59,663 four years after completion — roughly 57% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	1,557
Biomedical Technology/Technician	1,460
Energy Systems Technologies/Technicians	1,285
Computer Engineering Technology/Technician	1,215
Energy Systems Technology/Technician	815
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other	492
Solar Energy Technology/Technician	341
Computer Software Technology/Technician	278
Applied Engineering Technologies/Technicians	113
Composite Materials Technology/Technician	108
Audio Engineering Technology/Technician	76
Chemical Engineering Technology/Technician	63

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.