Power Plant Operators pay range in Houston
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $53,680 a year or less, while the top 10% make $125,030 or more. The middle half of power plant operators in Houston earn between $62,710 and $121,440.
- $54K10th
- $63K25th
- $105KMedian
- $121K75th
- $125K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $93,920 | $7,827 | $45.15 |
| Median | $104,620 | $8,718 | $50.30 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $62,710 | $5,226 | $30.15 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $121,440 | $10,120 | $58.38 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Power Plant Operators salary after taxes in Houston
On the average salary of $93,920, a single filer in Houston takes home about $74,903 a year, or $6,242 a month and $2,881 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 Houston a good place for power plant operators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Houston area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.6), so the average $93,920 buys what about $95,226 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Houston ($49,410). A typical home costs $308,306, or 3.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Power Plant Operators salary in other Texas cities
Houston ranks 7th 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 Houston: questions
How much do power plant operators make an hour in Houston?
$45.16 an hour on average, and $50.30 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level power plant operators salary in Houston?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $53,680 a year and the 25th percentile is $62,710, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the power plant operators take-home pay in Houston?
About $74,903 a year ($6,242 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $93,920. Texas has no state income tax.
Do power plant operators earn more in Houston 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (26420). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.4%.
- 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 no state income tax.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.86, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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