SOC 51-8013 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Power Plant Operators — Des Moines
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA · 2 metro areas compared
At $100,700, median pay for Power Plant Operators in Des Moines, IA tracks the national median of $102,040 closely.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -11.2%
- Openings per year
- 2,500
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $100,700, median pay for Power Plant Operators in Des Moines, IA tracks the national median of $102,040 closely. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $77,370 and $100,820. The lowest tenth earn under $61,210, while the highest tenth earn more than $128,430.
Cedar Rapids leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $104,920. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 69th of 508 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $61,210 | −40.0% |
| 25th | $77,370 | −24.2% |
| Median (50th) | $100,700 | −1.3% |
| 75th | $100,820 | −1.2% |
| 90th | $128,430 | +25.9% |
| Mean | $92,510 | −9.3% |
Other metro areas in Iowa
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cedar Rapids | $104,920 | 40 | |
| 2 | Waterloo | $76,550 | 30 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Des Moines run 8.3% below the national average, so the median of $100,700 goes as far as $109,815 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 7.6% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$100,700as reported by BLSLocal price level
91.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$109,815US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $100,700 a year, 1.3% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $61,210 to $128,430 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Cedar Rapids, at $104,920.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Power Plant Operators in Des Moines, IA?
The median annual wage is $100,700, or $48.42 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $102,040, so pay in Des Moines, IA is 1.3% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Des Moines, IA earns more than $128,430 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $61,210 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Cedar Rapids, at $104,920 per year.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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