Production · Holland code RCI

Biomass Plant Technicians

Control and monitor biomass plant activities and perform maintenance as needed.

Also called: Auxiliary Operator, Fuel Handler, Operations Technician (Operations Tech), Plant Operator, Central Heating Plant Operator, Fuel Quality Technician (Fuel Quality Tech), Heating Plant Operator, Plant Technician.

O*NET 51-8013.03

At a glance

US median annual pay: $102,040; Middle half earn $79,690 to $119,080. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 47% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Operate biomass fuel-burning boiler or biomass fuel gasification system equipment in accordance with specifications or instructions.
Perform tests of water chemistry in boilers.
Operate high-pressure steam boiler or water chiller equipment for electrical cogeneration operations.
Operate equipment to heat biomass, using knowledge of controls, combustion, and firing mechanisms.
Operate equipment to start, stop, or regulate biomass-fueled generators, generator units, boilers, engines, or auxiliary systems.
Inspect biomass power plant or processing equipment, recording or reporting damage and mechanical problems.
Record or report operational data, such as readings on meters, instruments, and gauges.
Operate valves, pumps, engines, or generators to control and adjust production of biofuels or biomass-fueled power.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Monitoring3.4 / 5
Critical Thinking3.1 / 5
Reading Comprehension3.0 / 5
Active Listening3.0 / 5
Writing3.0 / 5
Speaking3.0 / 5

Knowledge areas

Mechanical3.9 / 5
Chemistry3.4 / 5
English Language3.3 / 5
Production and Processing3.3 / 5
Engineering and Technology3.1 / 5
Education and Training3.1 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic100
Investigative35
Artistic0
Social4
Enterprising13
Conventional64

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

hydropower technician · DE Wasserkraftwerkstechniker/Wasserkraftwerkstechnikerin · FR technicien en hydroélectricité/technicienne en hydroélectricité
power production plant operator · DE Steuerer von Energieerzeugungsanlagen/Steuerin von Energieerzeugungsanlagen · FR conducteur d’installations de production d’énergie/conductrice d’installations de production d’énergie
biogas technician · DE Biogas-Techniker/Biogas-Technikerin · FR technicien biogaz/technicienne biogaz

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Quality assurance technicians (3115)36,100 employed
Science, engineering and production technicians n.e.c. (3119)38,000 employed
Energy plant operatives (8133)5,600 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Technicians and associate professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Technicians and associate professionals, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€50,992
Austria	€46,986
Germany	€44,473
Netherlands	€42,448
Ireland	€41,613
Sweden	€41,155
Italy	€34,882
France	€34,816
Spain	€29,757
Portugal	€18,080
Poland	€12,108

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the middle third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -0.35. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (51-8013).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test