Power Distributors and Dispatchers

Coordinate, regulate, or distribute electricity or steam.

What you'd actually do

• 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.
• Manipulate controls to adjust or activate power distribution equipment or machines.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the work happens outdoors; you're around people constantly; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 0% of power distributors and dispatchers are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on, organized and detail-focused and take-charge.

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Quick questions

How much does a power distributors and dispatcher make?

The median pay is $51.31 per hour — roughly $106,500 a year, with the real range running from about $34.83/hr (10th percentile) to $74.17/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a power distributors and dispatcher?

The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

What does a power distributors and dispatcher actually do all day?

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.