Geothermal Technicians

Agriculture, Food and Natural ResourcesO*NET 49-9099.01United States

Perform technical activities at power plants or individual installations necessary for the generation of power from geothermal energy sources. Monitor and control operating activities at geothermal power generation facilities and perform maintenance and repairs as necessary.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning
Median annual earnings
$47,979

50th percentile, United States

Projected change
+5%

2025 to 2035

Typical education
High school diploma or less

65.8% of the workforce

Employment
215.35K jobs

Growing to 226.07K by 2035

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Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.

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ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

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The work

What geothermal technicians do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

  • Monitor and adjust operations of geothermal power plant equipment or systems.
  • Prepare and maintain logs, reports, or other documentation of work performed.
  • Identify and correct malfunctions of geothermal plant equipment, electrical systems, instrumentation, or controls.
  • Collect and record data associated with operating geothermal power plants or well fields.
  • Determine whether emergency or auxiliary systems will be needed to keep properties heated or cooled in extreme weather conditions.
  • Perform pre- and post-installation pressure, flow, and related tests of vertical and horizontal geothermal loop piping.
  • Identify equipment options, such as compressors, and make appropriate selections.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile
$32,790
25th percentile
$39,583
50th percentile
$47,979
75th percentile
$62,664
90th percentile
$83,748

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $47,979 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+5%average or slower
2025215,346 jobs
2035 projected226,070 jobs

10,724 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

High school diploma or less
65.8%
Certificate
20.5%
Some college
12.3%
Associate degree
1.5%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

  • Thermal Management
  • Data Acquisition
  • Heat Transfer
  • Instrumentation
  • Sensors
  • Debugging
  • Thermal Systems
  • Alarm Devices
  • Atmospheric Pressure
  • Auditing
  • Graphical User Interface
  • Microscopy
  • Network Routing
  • Network Sockets
  • Root Cause Analysis
  • Thermal Engineering
  • Thermal Runaway
  • Mechanical Systems
  • Procurement
  • Test Planning

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Troubleshooting
Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Operation and Control
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Quality Control Analysis
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Repairing
Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Equipment Maintenance
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Installation
Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
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.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

  1. 01Thermal Engineers6 postings
  2. 02Engineering Technicians4 postings
  3. 03Hardware Technicians3 postings
  4. 04Hardware Support Technicians2 postings
  5. 05Structural Dynamics Engineers2 postings
  6. 06Systems Integration Technicians1 postings
  7. 07Thermal Systems Engineers1 postings

Top employers

  1. 01VY Systems3 postings
  2. 02Actalent2 postings
  3. 03Cummins2 postings
  4. 04GE Vernova2 postings
  5. 05Apple1 postings
  6. 06Boyd Corp1 postings
  7. 07Centraprise Corp1 postings
  8. 08GE Aerospace1 postings
  9. 09Kett Engineering1 postings
  10. 10Nvidia1 postings
  11. 11Productive Data Solutions1 postings
  12. 12Siri Infosolutions1 postings
  13. 13Tesla1 postings
  14. 14Wipro1 postings

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