Overview
Responsibilities
T-A-S-K
Education
Income & Employability
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Related Careers

Description

Control, operate, or maintain machinery to generate electric power. Includes auxiliary equipment operators.

Interests

  • Realistic
  • Conventional

Learn More about Interests

Work Values

  • Support
  • Relationships
  • Independence

Learn More about Work Values

Work Styles

  • Dependability
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Attention to Detail
  • Integrity
  • Adaptability/Flexibility

Learn More about Work Styles

Tasks

  • Control generator output to match the phase, frequency, or voltage of electricity supplied to panels.
  • Take regulatory action, based on readings from charts, meters and gauges, at established intervals.
  • Control power generating equipment, including boilers, turbines, generators, or reactors, using control boards or semi-automatic equipment.
  • Start or stop generators, auxiliary pumping equipment, turbines, or other power plant equipment as necessary.
  • Monitor power plant equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems.

Work Activities

  • Controlling Machines and Processes
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
  • Getting Information
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Detailed Work Activities

  • Controlling Machines and Processes - Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment - Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
  • Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment - Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.

Technology Skills

  • Electronic mail software
  • Presentation software
  • Industrial control software
  • Analytical or scientific software
  • Data base user interface and query software

Skills

  • Operations Monitoring
  • Operation and Control
  • Critical Thinking
  • Speaking
  • Active Listening

Knowledge

  • Mechanical
  • Public Safety and Security
  • English Language
  • Production and Processing
  • Chemistry

Most Common Education Level

The “Most Common Education Level” refers to the level of education held by the majority of workers in a given occupation. For example, if the highest percentage of workers in a role have an Associate’s Degree, that suggests this is the typical educational requirement. Knowing this helps you plan how many years of education you may need to pursue that career.

Certificates

Certifying Organization

Association of Energy Engineers

Type

Advanced

Certifying Organization

North American Electric Reliability Corporation

Type

Advanced

Certifying Organization

North American Electric Reliability Corporation

Type

Advanced

Certifying Organization

Association for Facilities Engineering

Type

Advanced

Certifying Organization

North American Electric Reliability Corporation

Type

Advanced

Income Percentile

The income percentiles show how earnings are distributed within a profession. The 10th percentile means that 10% of workers earned less than that amount. The median (50th percentile) indicates that half of workers earned more, and half earned less. The 90th percentile reflects what the top 10% of earners in the field make.

Income PercentileIncome
Low (10%)$NaN
Median (50%)$NaN
High (90%)$NaN

Income by Experience

This table shows how income typically grows with experience—from entry level (0–2 years), to mid-level (3–7 years), to senior level (8+ years).

ExperienceIncome
Entry Level$50,000
Mid Level$100,000
Senior Level$150,000

Employability

There are currently 32,400 jobs in this career path. Over the next 10 years, that number is expected to decrease to 29,300 positions, reflecting a projected decline of -9%.

The Projected Job Growth figure refers to the expected increase or decrease in employment within a specific career field over a certain period of time.

Projected Job Growth of -9%

The career information and data on this site incorporates information from O*NET Web Services by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), with ONET® being a registered trademark of USDOL/ETA. Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA; CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED); and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

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