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National

Median wages (2008) $28.11 hourly, $58,470 annual
Employment (2006) 35,000 employees
Projected growth (2006-2016) Slower than average (3% to 6%)
Projected need (2006-2016) 13,000 additional employees
51-8013.00 - Power Plant Operators

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

Sample of reported job titles: Auxiliary Operator, Control Operator, Operations and Maintenance Technician (O & M Technician), Unit Operator, Power Plant Operator, Boiler Operator, Control Center Operator, Control Room Operator, Operations and Maintenance Gas Turbine Technician, Plant Control Operator

Tasks

  • Monitor and inspect power plant equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems.
  • Adjust controls to generate specified electrical power, or to regulate the flow of power between generating stations and substations.
  • Operate or control power generating equipment, including boilers, turbines, generators, and reactors, using control boards or semi-automatic equipment.
  • Regulate equipment operations and conditions such as water levels, based on data from recording and indicating instruments or from computers.
  • Take readings from charts, meters and gauges at established intervals, and take corrective steps as necessary.
  • Start or stop generators, auxiliary pumping equipment, turbines, and other power plant equipment, and connect or disconnect equipment from circuits.
  • Inspect records and log book entries, and communicate with other plant personnel, in order to assess equipment operating status.
  • Control and maintain auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, fans, compressors, condensers, feedwater heaters, filters, and chlorinators, to supply water, fuel, lubricants, air, and auxiliary power.
  • Clean, lubricate, and maintain equipment such as generators, turbines, pumps, and compressors in order to prevent equipment failure or deterioration.
  • Communicate with systems operators to regulate and coordinate transmission loads and frequencies, and line voltages.

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Tools & Technology

Tools used in this occupation:

Heat exchangers — Fin fan heat exchangers; Plate exchangers; Shell and tube heat exchangers
Low voltage alternating and direct current AC DC panelboards — Control boards; Panel boards; Transformer controls
Steam engines — Steam distribution systems; Steam turbines
Steam generators — Heat recovery steam generators; Steam driven turbogenerators
Wet scrubbers — Selective catalytic reactors; Selective non-catalytic reactors; Wet scrubber systems

Technology used in this occupation:

Data base user interface and query software — Microsoft Access
Facilities management software — Computerized maintenance management system CMMS software
Industrial control software — Distributed control systems DCS software; General Electric Mark VI Distributed Control System DCS; Teknik Segala OSI Plant Information PI System; Yokogawa FAST/TOOLS
Presentation software — Microsoft PowerPoint
Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel
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