Power Plant Operators in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Power Plant Operators pay in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY at a median of $86,280 per year ($41.48/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $102,040, the metro estimate is 15% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 80 power plant operators are employed across the Buffalo-Cheektowaga MSA in SOC 51-8013.

The Buffalo-Cheektowaga pay distribution spans from $67,250 at the 10th percentile to $127,040 at the 90th, a 1.9× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $74,950 and the 75th at $127,040, so half of Buffalo-Cheektowaga-based power plant operators earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide NY estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.