Power Plant Operators pay range in Fresno
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $63,590 a year or less, while the top 10% make $178,150 or more. The middle half of power plant operators in Fresno earn between $101,400 and $178,150.
- $64K10th
- $101K25th
- $139KMedian
- $178K75th
- $178K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $131,280 | $10,940 | $63.12 |
| Median | $138,930 | $11,578 | $66.79 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $101,400 | $8,450 | $48.75 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $178,150 | $14,846 | $85.65 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Power Plant Operators salary after taxes in Fresno
On the average salary of $131,280, a single filer in Fresno takes home about $92,879 a year, or $7,740 a month and $3,572 every two weeks. Taxes take 29% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Fresno a good place for power plant operators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Fresno area are 2% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 102.2), so the average $131,280 buys what about $128,507 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 3.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Fresno ($46,910). A typical home costs $409,749, or 3.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Power Plant Operators salary in other California cities
Fresno ranks 2nd of 9 California metro areas for this job; Sacramento pays the most ($135,310).
- Sacramento$135,310
- Fresno$131,280
- San Francisco$130,890
- Stockton$113,020
- Los Angeles$105,840
- San Jose$104,340
- Bakersfield$96,390
- San Diego$95,380
- Riverside$94,120
Highest-paying cities for power plant operators
Wenatchee, WA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($150,930).
- Wenatchee, WA$150,930
- Sacramento, CA$135,310
- Seattle, WA$132,410
- Fresno, CA$131,280
- San Francisco, CA$130,890
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Power Plant Operators salary in Fresno: questions
How much do power plant operators make an hour in Fresno?
$63.12 an hour on average, and $66.80 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level power plant operators salary in Fresno?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $63,590 a year and the 25th percentile is $101,400, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the power plant operators take-home pay in Fresno?
About $92,879 a year ($7,740 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $131,280. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do power plant operators earn more in Fresno than elsewhere?
The average here is 28% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($102,474).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 51-8013; area Fresno, CA (23420). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.4%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.47, this job is 1.5 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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