Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay
Architecture and ConstructionO*NET 49-2095.00United States
Inspect, test, repair, or maintain electrical equipment in generating stations, substations, and in-service relays.
- Median annual earnings
- $103,022
- Projected change
- +9.1%
- Typical education
- Certificate
- Employment
- 24.68K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
50.3% of the workforce
Growing to 26.93K by 2035
Explore this career by location
Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.
Showing United States
Loading available locations…
Build the skills
ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
Loading related ASU learning
The work
What electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Inspect and test equipment and circuits to identify malfunctions or defects, using wiring diagrams and testing devices such as ohmmeters, voltmeters, or ammeters.
- Consult manuals, schematics, wiring diagrams, and engineering personnel to troubleshoot and solve equipment problems and to determine optimum equipment functioning.
- Prepare and maintain records detailing tests, repairs, and maintenance.
- Analyze test data to diagnose malfunctions, to determine performance characteristics of systems, or to evaluate effects of system modifications.
- Notify facility personnel of equipment shutdowns.
- Open and close switches to isolate defective relays, performing adjustments or repairs.
- Repair, replace, and clean equipment and components such as circuit breakers, brushes, and commutators.
- Run signal quality and connectivity tests for individual cables, and record results.
- Maintain inventories of spare parts for all equipment, requisitioning parts as necessary.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $65,728
- 25th percentile
- $81,848
- 50th percentile
- $103,022
- 75th percentile
- $118,872
- 90th percentile
- $129,917
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $103,022 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+9.1%faster than average
202524,676 jobs
2035 projected26,929 jobs
2,253 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Certificate
- 50.3%
- Associate degree
- 27.9%
- Some college
- 11.2%
- High school diploma or less
- 8.2%
- Bachelor's degree
- 2.4%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Relay Technicians511 postings
- 02Field Technicians414 postings
- 03Technicians412 postings
- 04Substation Technicians293 postings
- 05Power Technicians273 postings
- 06Protection and Control Engineers158 postings
- 07Substation Designers143 postings
- 08High Voltage Technicians116 postings
- 09Electrical Test Technicians113 postings
- 10Electrical Technicians110 postings
- 11Power Generation Technicians107 postings
- 12Commissioning Agents100 postings
- 13Power Systems Technicians91 postings
- 14Commissioning Technicians86 postings
- 15Electrical Services Specialists77 postings
- 16Transmission Technicians75 postings
- 17Generator Technicians69 postings
- 18Service Technicians68 postings
- 19Apprentice Technicians62 postings
- 20Shop Technicians60 postings
Top employers
- 01Electric Power Systems307 postings
- 02Eps Gmbh Co. Kg194 postings
- 03Aggreko190 postings
- 04Sargent & Lundy130 postings
- 05Asplundh Tree Experts118 postings
- 06Telex94 postings
- 07Bgis89 postings
- 08Voltyx Limited86 postings
- 09MasTec81 postings
- 10Solv Energy78 postings
- 11Siemens75 postings
- 12American Electric Power64 postings
- 13Duke Energy59 postings
- 14Resa Power53 postings
- 15Dominion Energy51 postings
- 16System One50 postings
- 17Vertiv44 postings
- 18Ohio Edison Company43 postings
- 19Entergy42 postings
- 20Qualus41 postings
Keep looking