Power Plant Operators pay range in Austin
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $59,280 a year or less, while the top 10% make $139,890 or more. The middle half of power plant operators in Austin earn between $64,030 and $118,720.
- $59K10th
- $64K25th
- $85KMedian
- $119K75th
- $140K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $94,730 | $7,894 | $45.54 |
| Median | $85,350 | $7,112 | $41.03 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $64,030 | $5,336 | $30.78 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $118,720 | $9,893 | $57.08 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Power Plant Operators salary after taxes in Austin
On the average salary of $94,730, a single filer in Austin takes home about $75,473 a year, or $6,289 a month and $2,903 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is Austin a good place for power plant operators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Austin area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.1), so the average $94,730 buys what about $96,598 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Austin ($56,950). A typical home costs $428,524, or 4.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Power Plant Operators salary in other Texas cities
Austin ranks 6th of 8 Texas metro areas for this job; Lubbock pays the most ($110,650).
- Lubbock$110,650
- Dallas$105,190
- Longview$103,000
- El Paso$97,980
- San Antonio$95,970
- Austin$94,730
- Houston$93,920
- College Station$90,490
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 Austin: questions
How much do power plant operators make an hour in Austin?
$45.55 an hour on average, and $41.03 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level power plant operators salary in Austin?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $59,280 a year and the 25th percentile is $64,030, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the power plant operators take-home pay in Austin?
About $75,473 a year ($6,289 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $94,730. Texas has no state income tax.
Do power plant operators earn more in Austin than elsewhere?
The average here is 8% less 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 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX (12420). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.7%.
- 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 0.71, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.71).
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