Biomass Plant Technicians
Control and monitor biomass plant activities and perform maintenance as needed.
$102,040 a year (for the broader BLS group this job sits in).
of the working time. Estimate.
- 7%
- 0%
- 93%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 5%. Today's estimate: 6%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 18 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operate biomass fuel-burning boiler or biomass fuel gasification system equipment in accordance with specifications or instructions.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 16% | 1.7 h25 min to 5 h | Stays with people | |
| Operate high-pressure steam boiler or water chiller equipment for electrical cogeneration operations.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 16% | 1.7 h25 min to 5 h | Stays with people | |
| Operate equipment to heat biomass, using knowledge of controls, combustion, and firing mechanisms.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 12% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Inspect biomass power plant or processing equipment, recording or reporting damage and mechanical problems.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 7% | 50 min25 min to 2.1 h | Stays with people | |
| Operate valves, pumps, engines, or generators to control and adjust production of biofuels or biomass-fueled power.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 6% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Operate heavy equipment, such as bulldozers and front-end loaders.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 1.7 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Operate equipment to start, stop, or regulate biomass-fueled generators, generator units, boilers, engines, or auxiliary systems.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 5% | 38 min13 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Calculate, measure, load, or mix biomass feedstock for power generation.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 4% | 50 min21 min to 2.1 h | Stays with people | |
| Preprocess feedstock to prepare for biochemical or thermochemical production processes.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 1.7 h33 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Measure and monitor raw biomass feedstock, including wood, waste, or refuse materials.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 38 min17 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Assess quality of biomass feedstock.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 50 min17 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Perform routine maintenance or make minor repairs to mechanical, electrical, or electronic equipment in biomass plants.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 1.7 h38 min to 4.2 h | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Biomass Power Plant Managers28% now, 67% by 2028
- Biofuels Processing Technicians21% now, 23% by 2028
- Power Plant Operators41% now, 45% by 2028
- Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators13% now, 22% by 2028
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators11% now, 11% by 2028
- Gas Plant Operators14% now, 16% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.