Salary Range

• The average salary for power plant technicians as of May 2010 was $29.94 per hour, or $62,270 per year, says the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle 50 percent of the pay scale was $24.63 to $35.26 per hour, or $51,220 to $73,340 per year. The bottom 10 percent had wages at or below $19.53 per hour, or $40,620 per year. The top 10 percent of power plant techs were making $40.74 per hour and higher, or $84,730 per year and more.
  
  

Types of Employment

• The largest number of power plant technicians work in the industry of electric power generation, transmission and distribution. Their average wage as of May 2010 was $30.52 per hour. Many work for local governments, at an average pay rate of $27.93 per hour, for state governments at $27.36 and for the federal government at $33.61. Power plant technicians also find employment with colleges and universities, earning $23.89 per hour on average.
  
  

Top-Paying Areas

• The best-paying state on average for power plant plant techs as of May 2010 was Washington, where their average salary was $37.21 per hour, or $77,400 per year. California ranked second, at $35.42 per hour. Nine of the top 10 U.S. metropolitan areas for average power plant tech pay were in California, with the greater San Diego area ranking first at $39.63 per hour, or $82,440 per year. Salaries in the other highest-paying metro areas ranged from about $36 to $39 per hour, including the one non-California metro area, which was the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett area in Washington.
  
  

High Concentration Areas

• Alaska had the largest number of power plant technicians per capita in 2010. The average salary there was $22.94 per hour. Other states with a high concentration of power plant techs were Wyoming, with an average pay rate at $29.34 per hour, North Dakota at $31.69, Alabama at $28 and West Virginia at $29.91.