A wireless communication link (a forward link or a reverse link) between a base station and a mobile station may be power-controlled to reduce a difference between an observed error rate in communications received over the link and a target error rate. The target error rate may be dependent upon the radio frequency (RF) conditions at the mobile station, which may be determined by measuring a signal strength of a pilot signal transmitted by the base station. Thus, a pilot signal strength at the mobile station may be determined, a target error rate may be selected based on the pilot signal strength, and the target error rate may be used to control a transmit power level of the wireless communication link. A mobile station may power-control a forward link and/or a base station may power-control a reverse link using a target error rate selected in this way.