Biomass Power Plant Managers earn a median of $126,060 per year ($60.61/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 2.6% through 2035, with about 17,000 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 11-3051
- Management
- Last updated October 15, 2026
At a glance
Biomass Power Plant Manager in four numbers
- Median pay
- $126,060a year, or $60.61/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $78KTop 10% $206K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +2.6%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+2.6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +2.6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 17,000252,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025252.1K
- Projected 2035258.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 252.1K Projected 2035 258.6K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school6.8%
- Certificate13.2%
- Some college1.8%
- Associate's16.7%
- Bachelor's61.5%
Highest education held by biomass power plant managers Segment Value High school 6.8% Certificate 13.2% Some college 1.8% Associate's 16.7% Bachelor's 61.5%
Also advertised as: Fuel Manager, Maintenance Manager, Maintenance Superintendent, Maintenance Supervisor, Operations and Maintenance Manager (O&M Manager), Operations Superintendent.
Pay
How much do biomass power plant managers make?
Biomass Power Plant Managers earn a median of $126,060 a year ($60.61 an hour, or about $10,510 a month); the lowest-paid 10% earn less than $78,000 and the top 10% more than $205,520 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The best-paying state is Delaware, with a median of $153,000. See Biomass power plant manager salary in Delaware and every other state. By city, pay is highest around San Jose ($179,590 average): salary in every city.
Every biomass power plant manager in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$126,060
Middle half earn $98,160 to $161,880
- 10th
- $78,000
- 25th
- $98,160
- 75th
- $161,880
- 90th
- $205,520
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $78,000 |
| 25th | $98,160 |
| Median | $126,060 |
| 75th | $161,880 |
| 90th | $205,520 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $126,060
- Median hourly wage
- $60.61/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $134,170
- People employed
- 246,250
Versus all US occupations
At $126,060, Biomass Power Plant Managers earn 147% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $75,080 a year.
Versus management occupations
The median is typical for the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $205,520 or more while the bottom 10% earn $78,000, a gap of 2.6×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 86% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Delaware posts the highest raw median ($153,000), but once local prices are taken into account Wyoming leads at $163,436 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay biomass power plant managers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Delaware | $153,000 | $153,294 | 370 |
| 2Wyoming | $151,490 | $163,436 | 390 |
| 3Massachusetts | $148,050 | $139,991 | 4,470 |
| 4New Jersey | $147,260 | $135,343 | 6,780 |
| 5New Hampshire | $146,590 | $140,729 | 1,540 |
| 6Washington | $145,210 | $135,694 | 4,760 |
| 7Colorado | $141,020 | $136,844 | 1,730 |
| 8Connecticut | $134,780 | $130,084 | 3,360 |
| 9Louisiana | $133,210 | $151,020 | 2,680 |
| 10California | $132,620 | $119,780 | 25,130 |
Job outlook
Is biomass power plant manager a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +2.6% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Biomass Power Plant Managers | +2.6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Biomass Power Plant Managers to change 2.6% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 6,500 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 17,000 openings are projected each year, 6.7% of the 252,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Industrial production managers will continue to be needed in manufacturing and other industries. However, in some industries with declining employment, fewer of these managers may be needed.
AI exposure: high
BLS places this occupation in its high relative AI exposure category, above the middle of the pack: a substantial share of the work overlaps with what AI can do.
Getting in
How to become a biomass power plant manager
Industrial production managers typically need a bachelor’s degree and several years of related work experience.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
5 years or more
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as biomass power plant managers.
- Bachelor's Degree61.5%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree16.7%
- Post-Secondary Certificate13.2%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)6.8%
- Some College Courses1.8%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 61.5% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 16.7% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 13.2% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 6.8% |
| Some College Courses | 1.8% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a biomass power plant manager do?
Manage operations at biomass power generation facilities. Direct work activities at plant, including supervision of operations and maintenance staff.
Industrial production managers oversee the operations of manufacturing and related plants. They coordinate, plan, and direct activities involved in creating a range of goods, such as cars, computer equipment, and paper products.
Day-to-day tasks
- Review biomass operations performance specifications to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
- Supervise operations or maintenance employees in the production of power from biomass, such as wood, coal, paper sludge, or other waste or refuse.
- Manage safety programs at power generation facilities.
- Prepare reports on biomass plant operations, status, maintenance, and other information.
- Supervise biomass plant or substation operations, maintenance, repair, or testing activities.
- Conduct field inspections of biomass plants, stations, or substations to ensure normal and safe operating conditions.
- Review logs, datasheets, or reports to ensure adequate production levels and safe production environments or to identify abnormalities with power production equipment or processes.
- Plan and schedule plant activities, such as wood, waste, or refuse fuel deliveries, ash removal, and regular maintenance.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most industrial production managers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. They may need to be on call to deal with emergencies at any time. Some industrial production managers work night or weekend shifts.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Where biomass power plant managers work
Share of jobs by employer type
- Transportation equipment manufacturing10%
- Fabricated metal product manufacturing9%
- Chemical manufacturing9%
- Food manufacturing8%
- Machinery manufacturing7%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Transportation equipment manufacturing | 10% |
| Fabricated metal product manufacturing | 9% |
| Chemical manufacturing | 9% |
| Food manufacturing | 8% |
| Machinery manufacturing | 7% |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Speaking4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Active Listening3.9
- Monitoring3.9
- Writing3.1
- Active Learning3.1
- Mathematics3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Monitoring | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
| Mathematics | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Coordination3.8
- Complex Problem Solving3.8
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8
- Management of Personnel Resources3.8
- Time Management3.6
- Operations Monitoring3.4
- Social Perceptiveness3.3
- Instructing3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Coordination | 3.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.8 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.8 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.8 |
| Time Management | 3.6 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.4 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.3 |
| Instructing | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Facilities management software
- Industrial control software
- Inventory management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
The workforce
Who works as a biomass power plant manager?
Women make up 22.8% of biomass power plant managers, against 47.1% of all employed people: more men than in the workforce as a whole.
22.9% are 55 or older, close to the 23.2% across all jobs.
The median worker is 46.1 years old (all workers: 42.1).
- Women
- 22.8%All workers 47.1% · BLS CPS, 2025
- Median age
- 46.1All workers 42.1 · BLS CPS, 2025
- Aged 55+
- 22.9%All workers 23.2% · BLS CPS, 2025
- Employed (CPS)
- 345,000BLS CPS, 2025
| Group | Share of biomass power plant managers | All employed people |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 22.8% | 47.1% |
| White | 81.7% | 75.7% |
| Black or African American | 4.8% | 12.7% |
| Asian | 10.5% | 7.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 13.9% | 20.0% |
| Aged 55 and over | 22.9% | 23.2% |
| Aged 16 to 24 | 2.0% | 12.2% |
Current Population Survey annual averages, 2025 (BLS tables 11 and 11b). Race groups can overlap with Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, so they do not sum to 100%.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a biomass power plant manager?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Biomass Power Plant Manager |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 5 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
- Conventional5.3
- Realistic5.1
- Enterprising4.9
- Investigative3.2
- Social1.7
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Questions
Biomass Power Plant Manager: frequently asked questions
How much do biomass power plant managers make?
Biomass Power Plant Managers earn a median of $126,060 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 147% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $60.61/hr. The middle half earn between $98,160 and $161,880. The top 10% earn $205,520 or more.
How much do biomass power plant managers make an hour?
The median hourly wage for biomass power plant managers is $60.61 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). On a full-year basis the $126,060 annual median works out to about $10,510 a month before tax.
What is the starting salary for a biomass power plant manager?
BLS does not publish a starting salary. The nearest measure is the low end of the pay range: the lowest-paid 10% of biomass power plant managers earn less than $78,000 a year and the bottom quarter less than $98,160 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). New workers often start near that end, but where a particular job starts depends on the employer, the state and the credentials you bring, so read these as the bottom of the range rather than a guaranteed entry wage.
Do biomass power plant managers make $100k?
Yes, more often than not. The median is $126,060, so more than half of biomass power plant managers earn over $100,000 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). In 52 states the median itself is above $100,000: Delaware ($153,000), Wyoming ($151,490), Massachusetts ($148,050), New Jersey ($147,260), and 48 more.
Which states pay biomass power plant managers the most?
The highest state medians for Biomass Power Plant Managers are Delaware ($153,000), Wyoming ($151,490), Massachusetts ($148,050) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Wyoming moves to the top at $163,436.
What kind of biomass power plant manager earns the most?
BLS does not split biomass power plant managers' pay by specialty or employer, but its range shows how far the top end runs: the highest-paid 10% earn more than $205,520, against a median of $126,060 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Location moves pay the most in the published data: the best-paying states are Delaware ($153,000), Wyoming ($151,490), Massachusetts ($148,050).
Do you need a degree to become a biomass power plant manager?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Biomass Power Plant Managers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. Employers typically expect 5 years or more of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 61.5% hold bachelor's degree.
How long does it take to become a biomass power plant manager?
BLS does not publish a fixed length; it depends on the route. What it does publish: the typical way in for biomass power plant managers is a bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of work experience in a related occupation. O*NET classes the work as needing considerable preparation.
Is biomass power plant manager a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 2.6% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 17,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a biomass power plant manager do?
Industrial production managers oversee the operations of manufacturing and related plants. A core O*NET task: review biomass operations performance specifications to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Presentation software.
Do biomass power plant managers work 40 hours a week?
Most work more than 40. In O*NET's survey of people in the job, 92% of biomass power plant managers usually work more than 40 hours a week, 9% work exactly 40 and 0% work fewer. 56% say their schedule is regular and 45% irregular. Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, Work Context.
What personality type suits a biomass power plant manager?
O*NET scores Biomass Power Plant Managers highest on the Conventional, Realistic and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ESTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.
What percentage of biomass power plant managers are women?
Women make up 22.8% of biomass power plant managers, against 47.1% of all employed people: more men than in the workforce as a whole. 22.9% are 55 or older, close to the 23.2% across all jobs. The median worker is 46.1 years old (all workers: 42.1). Source: BLS Current Population Survey, 2025 annual averages.






