Will AI replace Power Plant Operators?
AI reaches little of this job’s work.
12/100
Low exposure
More exposed to AI than 22% of US workers.
- AI already used in
- 7% of the work
- As AI tools mature: up to
- 24% of the work
What the job involves
Control, operate, or maintain machinery to generate electric power. Includes auxiliary equipment operators.
Where AI reaches the work
The job’s main tasks, heaviest first, by how far AI reaches them.
Already happening(2)
- Record and compile operational data by completing and maintaining forms, logs, or reports.
- Analyze the layout, instrumentation, or function of electrical generation or transmission facilities.
Within reach(6)
- Inspect records or log book entries or communicate with plant personnel to assess equipment operating status.
- Monitor well fields periodically to ensure proper functioning and performance.
- Prepare and submit compliance, operational, and safety forms or reports.
- Verify that well field monitoring data conforms to applicable regulations.
- Communicate with systems operators to regulate and coordinate line voltages and transmission loads and frequencies.
and 1 more
Out of reach(22)
- Start or stop generators, auxiliary pumping equipment, turbines, or other power plant equipment as necessary.
- Monitor power plant equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems.
- 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.
- Open and close valves and switches in sequence to start or shut down auxiliary units.
- Regulate equipment operations and conditions, such as water levels, based on instrument data or from computers.
and 17 more
Also called
Plant Operator · Power Plant Operator · Hydroelectric Plant Operator · Operator · Plant Technician (Plant Tech) · Plant Tech · Powerhouse Operator · Turbine Room Attendant
Related jobs
What these numbers mean
The score is the share of this job’s work, weighted by how important and frequent each task is, that AI could do in half the time: tasks an AI model could do alone count in full, tasks that need software built on AI count half.
“AI already used” is the share of the work in tasks where people are recorded using AI today. “As AI tools mature” counts every task AI could halve, with or without extra software.
The percentile compares the score with every job’s, weighted by how many people in the US do each one. Exposure means AI could change how the work is done, not that the job goes away. These are estimates for the typical job, not predictions.
Sources
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
- GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs (task labels), Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), OpenAI and University of Pennsylvania
- Anthropic Economic Index: labor market impacts (task penetration), Anthropic
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national and metropolitan areas), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics