SOC 51-8013 · Reno, NV metro

Power Plant Operators Salary in Reno, NV

The average salary for power plant operators in Reno, Nevada is $114,840 a year ($55.21 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $129,020: half of the 60 people in this job in the Reno, NV metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 12% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($102,474).

$114,840average per year

$55.21 / hourMedian $129,020Take-home ≈ $89,620

  • $74K10th
  • $92K25th
  • $129KMedian
  • $131K75th
  • $145K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

60people in this job
+12%vs U.S. metro average
#2 of 2Nevada metros
101cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Power Plant Operators pay range in Reno

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $73,750 a year or less, while the top 10% make $145,440 or more. The middle half of power plant operators in Reno earn between $92,040 and $131,400.

  • $74K10th
  • $92K25th
  • $129KMedian
  • $131K75th
  • $145K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$114,840$9,570$55.21
Median$129,020$10,752$62.03
Entry level (25th percentile)$92,040$7,670$44.25
Experienced (75th percentile)$131,400$10,950$63.17

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Power Plant Operators salary after taxes in Reno

On the average salary of $114,840, a single filer in Reno takes home about $89,620 a year, or $7,468 a month and $3,447 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

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Is Reno a good place for power plant operators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Reno area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 101.0), so the average $114,840 buys what about $113,687 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Reno ($49,660). A typical home costs $570,546, or 5.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $114,840 is worth in another city

Power Plant Operators salary in other Nevada cities

Reno ranks 2nd of 2 Nevada metro areas for this job; Las Vegas pays the most ($126,340).

All Power Plant Operators salaries in Nevada

Highest-paying cities for power plant operators

Wenatchee, WA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($150,930).

Power Plant Operators salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Power Plant Operators in Reno, NV.

Power Plant Operators salary in Reno: questions

How much do power plant operators make an hour in Reno?

$55.21 an hour on average, and $62.03 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level power plant operators salary in Reno?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $73,750 a year and the 25th percentile is $92,040, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the power plant operators take-home pay in Reno?

About $89,620 a year ($7,468 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $114,840. Nevada has no state income tax.

Do power plant operators earn more in Reno than elsewhere?

The average here is 12% 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 Reno, NV (39900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 7.0%.
  • 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 no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.15, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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