Substation Operator
E-14E Other Energy, solar and power lines jobs · Skilled level · O*NET 51-8012.00
- Texas median
whole occupation, 2025 - $102,890
- work over
40 h a week - 47%
- load index
from O*NET data - 2.3/5
- Texas jobs
2024 to 2034 - -9.4%
Pay
This level's pay
No published pay record names this level: no public record found in sources S1-S7 that names this rung. The occupation-wide figure below is for all experience levels.
Whole occupation: all Power Distributors and Dispatchers, Texas BLS OEWS May 2025
- Series OEUS480000000000051801213 (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 970 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000051801201).
BLS OEWS May 2025
- Series OEUS480000000000051801213 (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 970 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000051801201).
Outlook 2024 to 2034, all Power Distributors and Dispatchers, 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
- -9.4% jobs · about 90 openings a year (1,060 jobs in 2024)
- United States
- -3.2% jobs · about 800 openings a year (9,300 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 08/2024, n = 17 respondents, O*NET OnLine
O*NET 31.0
- Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 08/2024, n = 17 respondents, O*NET OnLine
Schedule: regular 80% · irregular 20% · seasonal 0%
Physical load 2.3 of 5, our index from O*NET Method
- Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (2.21, 6 measures) and an exposure index (2.44, 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 (2.21, 6 measures) and an exposure index (2.44, 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
- Standing2.96
- Climbing ladders2.37
- Walking or running2.28
- Bending or twisting2.12
- Kneeling or crawling1.85
- Keeping balance1.71
Exposure
- High places2.91
- Outdoors, all weather2.8
- Hazardous conditions2.5
- Protective gear2.4
- Very hot or cold2.26
- Hazardous equipment2.14
- Cramped space2.1
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
- 6% hold a bachelor's or higher; most common: Post-Secondary Certificate
- Experience
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years of related experience is the most common answer (28% of workers).
O*NET
- O*NET Related Work Experience, Power Distributors and Dispatchers, 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).
Moves to the side 7
- E2 Substation Technician O*NET lists Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.76 (same lateral rule, started from this rung; target is the related occupation's role nearest this rung's level band).
- R Stationary Engineer O*NET lists Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.73 (same lateral rule, started from this rung; target is the related occupation's role nearest this rung's level band). License gate: not checked yet.
- E Power Plant Operator O*NET lists Power Plant Operators as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.73 (same lateral rule, started from this rung; target is the related occupation's role nearest this rung's level band).
- E Hydroelectric Plant Operator O*NET lists Hydroelectric Plant Technicians as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.71 (same lateral rule, started from this rung; target is the related occupation's role nearest this rung's level band).
What the work is 6 core tasks
Coordinate, regulate, or distribute electricity or steam.
- Coordinate with engineers, planners, field personnel, or other utility workers to provide information such as clearances, switching orders, or distribution process changes.
- Respond to emergencies, such as transformer or transmission line failures, and route current around affected areas.
- Control, monitor, or operate equipment that regulates or distributes electricity or steam, using data obtained from instruments or computers.
- Direct personnel engaged in controlling or operating distribution equipment or machinery, such as instructing control room operators to start boilers or generators.
- Distribute or regulate the flow of power between entities, such as generating stations, substations, distribution lines, or users, keeping track of the status of circuits or connections.
- Prepare switching orders that will isolate work areas without causing power outages, referring to drawings of power systems.
Core tasks ranked by O*NET task Importance (IM, 1-5), top 6.
Top skills
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Operations Monitoring
Sources (4)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, Texas, series OEUS480000000000051801213, 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), 51-8012.00 Power Distributors and Dispatchers, 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.
