Power Plant Operators
Machines can already do 34% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 72%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Power Plant Operators in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 34% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 3% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2032, and 72% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 29,320 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $102,040 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 71% for contact with people.
- Also called: Auxiliary Operator, Control Operator, Control Room Operator, Multicraft Operator (MCO).
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monitor power plant equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems | 17% | 30% to 75% | |
| Control power generating equipment, including boilers, turbines, generators, or reactors, using control boards or semi-automatic equipment | 13% | 40% to 80% | |
| Take regulatory action, based on readings from charts, meters and gauges, at established intervals | 8% | 30% to 75% | |
| Regulate equipment operations and conditions, such as water levels, based on instrument data or from computers | 7% | 20% to 60% | |
| Control or maintain auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, fans, compressors, condensers, feedwater heaters, filters, or chlorinators, to supply water, fuel, lubricants, air, or auxiliary power | 6% | 20% to 60% | |
| Record and compile operational data by completing and maintaining forms, logs, or reports | 6% | 85% to 97% | |
| Start or stop generators, auxiliary pumping equipment, turbines, or other power plant equipment as necessary | 5% | 30% to 75% | |
| Inspect records or log book entries or communicate with plant personnel to assess equipment operating status | 5% | 30% to 54% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills power plant operators use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Logging Equipment Operators60% of tasks by 2035 · US median $49,740
- Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation58% of tasks by 2035 · US median $92,100
- Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic62% of tasks by 2035 · US median $49,030
- Locomotive Engineers71% of tasks by 2035 · US median $81,410
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Power Plant Operators?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2032. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of power plant operators?
Machines can do 34% of the tasks of power plant operators today and 72% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 51-8013.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Power Plant Operators: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/power-plant-operators/