Power distributors and dispatchers: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more
Power distributors and dispatchers, also known as systems operators, control the flow of electricity as it travels from generating stations to substations and users. In exercising such control, they monitor and operate current converters, voltage transformers, and circuit breakers over a network of transmission and distribution lines. They prepare and issue switching orders to route electrical currents around areas that need maintenance or repair. They detect and respond to emergencies, such as transformer or transmission line failures, which can cause cascading power outages over the network. They may work with plant operators to troubleshoot electricity generation issues.
- Education Required
- Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers typically need at least a high school diploma or equivalent. However, employers may prefer workers who have a college or vocational school degree.
- Training Required
- Power plant operators and dispatchers undergo rigorous, long-term on-the-job training and technical instruction. Several years of onsite training and experience are necessary for a worker to become fully qualified. Even fully qualified operators and dispatchers must take regular training courses to keep their skills up to date.
- Job Outlook
-
The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: -1% (Little or no change)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.) - Advancement
- With sufficient education, training and experience, power plant distributors and dispatchers can become shift supervisors, trainers, or consultants.
- Licenses/Certifications
- Nuclear power reactor operators must be licensed through the NRC. They typically begin working in nuclear power plants as unlicensed operators, where they gain the required knowledge and experience to start the licensing process. To become licensed, operators must meet training and experience requirements, pass a medical exam, and pass the NRC licensing exam. To keep their license, operators must pass a plant-operating exam each year, pass a medical exam every 2 years, and apply for renewal of their license every 6 years. Licenses cannot be transferred between plants, so an operator must get a new license to work in another facility.
- Median pay: How much do Power Plant Operators, Distributors, and Dispatchers make?
- $78,370 Annual Salary
- $37.68 per hour
Careers for Power Plant Operators, Distributors, and Dispatchers
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- Nuclear station operators
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- Powerhouse operators
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- Steam and power plant panel operators
- Steam plant control room operators
- Substation operator
- Turbine room attendants