Power Plant Operators

Most exposed tasks

No task is classified fully automatable in this release. The highest-exposure task relative to this role is shown in the free snapshot above; the assistive work is detailed next.

Augmentable tasks

Work where AI assists rather than replaces — the productivity frontier of this role.

• Record and compile operational data by completing and maintaining forms, logs, or reports.65
• Inspect records or log book entries or communicate with plant personnel to assess equipment operating status.45
• Receive outage calls and request necessary personnel during power outages or emergencies.45

Most durable tasks

Lowest exposure — typically judgment, relationships, physical presence, or accountability. This is the human moat.

• Make adjustments or minor repairs, such as tightening leaking gland or pipe joints.12
• Clean, lubricate, or maintain equipment, such as generators, turbines, pumps, or compressors, to prevent failure or deterioration.15
• Collect oil, water, or electrolyte samples for laboratory analysis.15

Task exposure values and classifications are published, versioned estimates audited against the anchored rubric. This page reads them from the data release rather than generating them at request time. Bars show exposure contribution relative to this role’s task mix.

What this means

A score of 32 puts Power Plant Operators in the second quartile of analyzed occupations. In practice, exposure this level is about the mix: 0 of 20 analyzed tasks lean automatable, 6 augmentable, and 14 durable. The useful question isn’t “will AI take this job” — it’s which tasks go first, which get faster, and where to reposition time. That’s what the personalized report maps against your actual week.

Lower-exposure adjacent roles

Shown only when the target is at least 10 points lower under the same score version and skill overlap is at least 50%. These are adjacent roles with lower task exposure — not guaranteed “safe careers”.

Labor-market context

• $102,040median wage
• 29,320employed
• 2,500annual openings
• -11.4%projected growth

Context only — labor statistics are not inputs to the exposure score. See methodology.

Related roles

Adjacent by skills or family — no exposure claim implied.

• Biomass Plant Technicians 26
• Gas Plant Operators 30
• Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators 24
• Geothermal Technicians 28
• Power Distributors and Dispatchers 33
• Chemical Plant and System Operators 25

How this score was calculated

FAQ — Power Plant Operators

Will AI replace Power Plant Operators?

This score cannot predict whether this occupation or any individual job will be replaced. It shows which tasks current and near-term AI can perform or accelerate, which tasks remain more durable, and where a worker can adapt. Employer decisions, demand, regulation, and how the role changes are outside the score.

What does a score of 32 mean for a Power Plant Operators?

It means that, weighted across the 20 tasks we analyzed for this role, the task mix sits at 32 on a 0–100 exposure scale — in the second quartile of analyzed occupations. It measures task exposure to current and near-term AI capabilities, not the probability of losing a job.

Which tasks in this role are most exposed to AI?

This role has no strongly automatable task in the current data release.

Which parts of this job are most durable?

The most durable responsibilities are: Make adjustments or minor repairs, such as tightening leaking gland or pipe joints; Clean, lubricate, or maintain equipment, such as generators, turbines, pumps, or compressors, to prevent failure or deterioration; Collect oil, water, or electrolyte samples for laboratory analysis. Durable tasks typically depend on judgment, relationships, physical presence, or accountability.

Is this score personalized to me?

No — this page shows the occupation-level baseline. Two people with the same title often do different work. The $9 personalized report recalculates the score from the tasks you actually do and builds a concrete 7/30/90-day plan around them.