Protective Relay Technician
E2-02E2 Substation and protection · Skilled level · O*NET 49-2095.00
- this level, from
City of Austin (incl. Austin Energy) pay range, 2025 - $28.29/h
- work over
40 h a week - 34%
- load index
from O*NET data - 3.4/5
- Texas jobs
2024 to 2034 - +6.3%
Pay
This level's pay (published records that name this rung)
Public employer pay plan City of Austin (incl. Austin Energy) pay range, 2025
$28.29-$34.80/h (entry rate to midpoint), Relay Technician I, Austin, TX, effective 2025-06-15 Source
About $58,843 a year at 2,080 h (40 h x 52 weeks, no overtime).
Pay range for that public employer's own classified jobs; not private-sector pay.
$28.29-$47.98/h, lowest to highest figure in 3 current record(s) from 1 document(s). Minimum rates and pay ranges from different documents and areas; not a distribution.
All pay records and context (3)
- City of Austin (incl. Austin Energy) pay range, 2025: $28.29 to $34.80/h, Relay Technician I, Austin, TX, effective 2025-06-15 source
- City of Austin (incl. Austin Energy) pay range, 2025: $33.49 to $42.71/h, Relay Technician II, Austin, TX, effective 2025-06-15 source
- City of Austin (incl. Austin Energy) pay range, 2025: $37.63 to $47.98/h, Relay Technician III, Austin, TX, effective 2025-06-15 source
Whole occupation: all Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay, Texas BLS OEWS May 2025
- Series OEUS480000000000049209513 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
- Based on an estimated 2,360 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000049209501).
BLS OEWS May 2025
- Series OEUS480000000000049209513 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
- Based on an estimated 2,360 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000049209501).
Outlook 2024 to 2034, all Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay, not level-specific TWC, BLS
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
TWC, BLS
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
- Texas
- +6.3% jobs · about 220 openings a year (2,530 jobs in 2024)
- United States
- +5.6% jobs · about 2,000 openings a year (23,400 jobs in 2024)
Openings include people retiring or changing jobs, not only growth.
Hours O*NET 31.0
- Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 07/2017, n = 28 respondents, O*NET OnLine
O*NET 31.0
- Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 07/2017, n = 28 respondents, O*NET OnLine
Schedule: regular 44% · irregular 52% · seasonal 4%
Physical load 3.4 of 5, our index from O*NET Method
- Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (2.85, 6 measures) and an exposure index (3.87, 7 measures), built from O*NET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
- O*NET OnLine
Method
- Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (2.85, 6 measures) and an exposure index (3.87, 7 measures), built from O*NET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
- O*NET OnLine
Body
- Standing3.71
- Walking or running3.2
- Bending or twisting2.76
- Climbing ladders2.65
- Kneeling or crawling2.64
- Keeping balance2.12
Exposure
- Outdoors, all weather4.32
- Hazardous conditions4.25
- Very hot or cold4.21
- Hazardous equipment3.94
- High places3.6
- Protective gear3.47
- Cramped space3.32
Getting in
- License
- 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.
- Degree
- 2% hold a bachelor's or higher; most common: Post-Secondary Certificate
- Experience
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years of related experience is the most common answer (35% of workers).
O*NET
- O*NET Related Work Experience, Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay, O*NET OnLine
- Preparation
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Why this level
- Skilled: O*NET Job Zone 3 (1-2 start, 3-4 skilled, 5 senior). Rung 2 of 4 on 'Substation and protection'.
Next stop E2 Substation Engineer +$26,980 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
Gates: Needs a degree: most people in the target job hold a bachelor's or higher (O*NET: 89%). Texas PE license (TBPELS) is required for the practice of engineering as defined in Occ. Code 1001.003; whether this job needs it depends on the work. Most people in the target job have over 4 years, up to and including 6 years of related work experience (O*NET: 30%).
Moves to the side 7
- I Instrumentation Technician O*NET lists Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.89 (same lateral rule, started from this rung; target is the related occupation's role nearest this rung's level band). License: depends on the work.
- I Industrial Electrical Equipment Technician O*NET lists Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.85 (same lateral rule, started from this rung; target is the related occupation's role nearest this rung's level band). License: depends on the work.
- I Locomotive Electrician O*NET lists Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.84 (same lateral rule, started from this rung; target is the related occupation's role nearest this rung's level band).
- I3 Controls Technician O*NET lists Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.82 (same lateral rule, started from this rung; target is the related occupation's role nearest this rung's level band). License: depends on the work.
What the work is 6 core tasks
Inspect, test, repair, or maintain electrical equipment in generating stations, substations, and in-service relays.
- Inspect and test equipment and circuits to identify malfunctions or defects, using wiring diagrams and testing devices such as ohmmeters, voltmeters, or ammeters.
- Prepare and maintain records detailing tests, repairs, and maintenance.
- Consult manuals, schematics, wiring diagrams, and engineering personnel to troubleshoot and solve equipment problems and to determine optimum equipment functioning.
- Analyze test data to diagnose malfunctions, to determine performance characteristics of systems, or to evaluate effects of system modifications.
- Notify facility personnel of equipment shutdowns.
- Open and close switches to isolate defective relays, performing adjustments or repairs.
Core tasks ranked by O*NET task Importance (IM, 1-5), top 6.
Top skills
- Critical Thinking
- Equipment Maintenance
- Repairing
- Troubleshooting
- Reading Comprehension
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Active Listening
Sources (5)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, Texas, series OEUS480000000000049209513, read 2026-10-03
- Public employer pay plan: City of Austin: Job Titles, Descriptions and Pay Scales, read 2026-10-03
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), 49-2095.00 Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay, read 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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. Engineer Tsai has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 · O*NET license
Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Base pay; excludes overtime. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034 (United States) and Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections 2024-2034, read through Projections Central.
