Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay

Median salary

$103,020

Average salary

$100,760

Employment

20,720

Projected growth

5.5% growth

Annual openings

2,000

Typical entry education

Postsecondary nondegree award

What Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay Do

Inspect, test, repair, or maintain electrical equipment in generating stations, substations, and in-service relays.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: Less than 5 years
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: Not available

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Mechanicalimportance 4.3/5
Mathematicsimportance 3.9/5
Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.9/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.9/5
English Languageimportance 3.8/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.7/5
Designimportance 3.7/5
Physicsimportance 3.5/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.7/5
Contact With Others4.7/5
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.6/5
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.6/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians91% skill match
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters90% skill match
Wind Turbine Service Technicians90% skill match
Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics90% skill match
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators90% skill match
Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians89% skill match
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand89% skill match
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders89% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.6/5
Repairingimportance 3.6/5
Troubleshootingimportance 3.5/5
Operations Monitoringimportance 3.3/5
Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.3/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
Systems Analysisimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Fluke Corporation FlukeView Forms
Megger PowerDB
OMICRON Test Universe
Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
Web browser software

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Cautiousness
Integrity
Intellectual Curiosity
Stress Tolerance
Perseverance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalHigh
InvestigativeMedium
EnterprisingLow
SocialLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1Victoria, TX11.12× national avg
2Syracuse, NY3.95× national avg
3Roanoke, VA2.68× national avg
4Wilmington, NC2.43× national avg
5New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ2.27× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and TechniciansCareer Change
Wind Turbine Service TechniciansLateral Move
Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and TechniciansCareer Change
Motorcycle MechanicsLateral Move

See the full career path from Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.