Power plant operator
Controls, operates, or maintains machinery that generates electric power.
Will AI replace power plant operator jobs?
AI changes jobs more often than it replaces them. How much AI can help with this work: Low. More AI overlap than 19 in 100 jobs. AI touches a small part of this work. Most of the job happens with your hands, your body or in person. 3% of this job’s working time is already spent on tasks people bring to AI at work (Anthropic Economic Index). Based on Microsoft research on real AI use at work, matched to the tasks of each job in O*NET.
What AI already helps with
- Record and compile operating data in forms, logs, or reports
- Check logs and talk with staff to assess equipment status
- Take action based on chart, meter, and gauge readings at set times
What stays human
- Control generator output to match the electricity supplied to panels
- Control boilers, turbines, generators, or reactors from control boards
- Start or stop generators, pumps, turbines, and other plant equipment
10-year outlook · USA
Expected change in the number of these jobs by 2035: -5.1%. Typical pay: $102,040 a year. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. German figures differ, but the direction is usually similar.
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