SOC 51-8013 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Power Plant Operators — Wichita
Wichita, KS · 1 metro areas compared
Median pay in Wichita, KS is $63,240 a year, 38.0% under the national median of $102,040 for this occupation.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
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 Wichita, KS.
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 in Wichita, KS is $63,240 a year, 38.0% under the national median of $102,040 for this occupation. Half of workers earn between $48,320 and $100,560. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $47,620 and the ninetieth at $131,760.
Employment stands at 70, or 0.2 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Manhattan records the highest median at $98,840. Of the 480 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 162nd.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $47,620 | −53.3% |
| 25th | $48,320 | −52.6% |
| Median (50th) | $63,240 | −38.0% |
| 75th | $100,560 | −1.5% |
| 90th | $131,760 | +29.1% |
| Mean | $75,570 | −25.9% |
Other metro areas in Kansas
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manhattan | $98,840 | 70 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Wichita run 11.1% below the national average, so the median of $63,240 goes as far as $71,136 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 30.3% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$63,240as reported by BLSLocal price level
88.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$71,136US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $63,240 a year, 38.0% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $47,620 to $131,760 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 70 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Manhattan, at $98,840.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Power Plant Operators in Wichita, KS?
The median annual wage is $63,240, or $30.41 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 Wichita, KS is 38.0% 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 Wichita, KS earns more than $131,760 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $47,620 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 Manhattan, at $98,840 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 70 jobs in this occupation in Wichita, KS. 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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