What do they do?
Coordinate, regulate, or distribute electricity or steam.
Also known as:
Control Area Operator, Control Operator, Control Room Operator, Distribution Dispatcher, Distribution System Operator, Electric System Operator, Power System Dispatcher, Power System Operator, Steam and Power Panel Operator, System Operator, Systems Operator, Transmission System Operator, Utilities Operator
No Data Available
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-3.5%
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Ranks #43 in job growth rate30Job Openings
Ranks #14 in net job growth
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- Some college, no degree (32%)
- High school diploma equivalent (24%)
- Associate's degree (20%)
- Bachelor's degree (18%)
- Master's degree (3%)
- Less than high school diploma (2%)
- Doctorate or Professional Degree (<1%)
Most Popular Majors that prepare Power Distributors and Dispatchers
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#1
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Degrees Granted
2,816
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Female Students
1,141
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Male Students
1,675
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Median Starting Salary
$43,800
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#2
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Degrees Granted
2,768
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Female Students
1,486
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Male Students
1,282
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Median Starting Salary
$40,800
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#3
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Degrees Granted
2,740
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Female Students
297
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Male Students
2,443
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Median Starting Salary
$59,800
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#4
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Degrees Granted
755
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Female Students
219
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Male Students
536
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Median Starting Salary
$43,800
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#5
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Degrees Granted
529
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Female Students
67
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Male Students
462
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Median Starting Salary
$56,989
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People in this career often have these skills:
- 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.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
People in this career often know a lot about:
- Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
People in this career often have talent in:
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
People in this career often do these activities:
- Operate energy distribution equipment.
- Plan production or operational procedures or sequences.
- Direct operational or production activities.
- Exchange information with colleagues.
- Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
- Record operational or production data.
- Inspect production equipment.
- Monitor external factors impacting operations.
- Adjust equipment to ensure optimal performance.
- Calculate specific material, equipment, or labor requirements for production.
- Clean production equipment.
- Maintain production or processing equipment.
- Repair production equipment or tools.
This page includes data from:
Career data: O*NET 28.3 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
Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics
Videos: CareerOneStop, USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development
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