SOC 51-8013 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Power Plant Operators — Gainesville
Gainesville, FL · 7 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Gainesville, FL is $78,890 a year, trailing the national median of $102,040 by 22.7%.
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 Gainesville, FL.
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
Median pay for this occupation in Gainesville, FL is $78,890 a year, trailing the national median of $102,040 by 22.7%. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $71,240 and $90,450. The lowest tenth earn under $62,540, while the highest tenth earn more than $90,450.
The area has 50 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 1.84 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Jacksonville records the highest median at $119,550. Of the 349 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 65th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $62,540 | −38.7% |
| 25th | $71,240 | −30.2% |
| Median (50th) | $78,890 | −22.7% |
| 75th | $90,450 | −11.4% |
| 90th | $90,450 | −11.4% |
| Mean | $78,880 | −22.7% |
Other metro areas in Florida
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacksonville | $119,550 | 90 | |
| 2 | Port St. Lucie | $109,090 | 50 | |
| 3 | Lakeland | $106,540 | 100 | |
| 4 | Tampa | $105,740 | 170 | |
| 5 | Orlando | $84,690 | 290 | |
| 6 | Pensacola | $71,070 | 30 | |
| 7 | Miami | $62,080 | 380 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Gainesville run 3.3% below the national average, so the median of $78,890 goes as far as $81,582 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 20.0% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$78,890as reported by BLSLocal price level
96.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$81,582US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $78,890 a year, 22.7% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $62,540 to $90,450 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 50 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Jacksonville, at $119,550.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Power Plant Operators in Gainesville, FL?
The median annual wage is $78,890, or $37.93 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 Gainesville, FL is 22.7% 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 Gainesville, FL earns more than $90,450 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $62,540 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 Jacksonville, at $119,550 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 50 jobs in this occupation in Gainesville, FL. Self-employed workers are not included.
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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