Compare A Power Plant Operator ↔ B Computer Repair Technician

Compare with

Your route

3 moves · -$57,030 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Power System Dispatcher: experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).
Move 2, to Low-Voltage Technician: license not checked yet.
Move 3, to Computer Repair Technician: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Power Plant Operator to Power System Dispatcher +$380 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Power Distributors and Dispatchers as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.73.
- Gates: experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).
- Skills to build: Reading Comprehension
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Power System Dispatcher to Low-Voltage Technician -$43,520 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.69 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates: license not checked yet.
Move 3 Transfer move to the side
Low-Voltage Technician to Computer Repair Technician -$13,890 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.84.
- Gates checked: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).

Side by side

All Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers: Texas median $45,480, $57,030 less a year than all Power Plant Operators ($102,510), every experience level.

Power Plant Operator: 78% work more than 40 hours a week, about 4.2 times the share for Computer Repair Technician (19%).

Occupation-wide pay all experience levels, not this level's pay; Texas median, base pay, $0 to $300k

$102,510-$57,030$45,480

Gates on the route: Power System Dispatcher: experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common); Low-Voltage Technician: license not checked yet.

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A -13.2% Texas, 150 openings a year

B +7.4% Texas, 790 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

78%-59 pts19%

Physical load our index from O*NET, 1 to 5; A B; largest differences first

3.2 / 5-1.02.2 / 5

High places-2.98High places: A 4.24, B 1.26
Hazardous equipment-2.46Hazardous equipment: A 4.05, B 1.59
Hazardous conditions-2.33Hazardous conditions: A 4.6, B 2.27
Outdoors, all weather-1.86Outdoors, all weather: A 4.11, B 2.25
Protective gear-1.78Protective gear: A 2.88, B 1.1

Degree

A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 13% do).

B Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 17% do).

License

A Texas: no state electrician license for work on equipment controlled by an electric utility, co-op or power generation company (1305.003(a)(5)); the same work for a contractor needs a TDLR license.

B No license for this job title at the 8 Texas and federal licensing agencies read on 2026-10-03 (TDLR, TSBPE, TCEQ, TCFP, TEA, TBPELS, NRC and EPA).

Experience

A Most common related work experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET: 47%).

B Most common related work experience: over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (O*NET: 40%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Critical Thinking
Complex Problem Solving
Equipment Maintenance
Quality Control Analysis
Speaking
Operations Monitoring

To build: 4

Installation +1.38
Equipment Selection +0.63
Repairing +0.62
Service Orientation +0.62

Make this your goal

Save Power Plant Operator to Computer Repair Technician as your goal. Each step then shows the hours you have logged toward it, your exam practice and your license, with the one thing to do next and the 4 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.