Occupations · Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay
Inspect, test, repair, or maintain electrical equipment in generating stations, substations, and in-service relays.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 49-2095.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 94% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $99,360 | 2,920 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $94,940 | 640 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $110,140 | 590 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $108,650 | 410 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | $100,620 | 390 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $103,660 | 370 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $97,790 | 330 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $125,250 | 280 |
| Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA | $105,760 | 270 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $109,030 | 260 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $131,680 | 260 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $100,030 | 260 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: Postsecondary nondegree award · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- Construct, test, maintain, and repair substation relay and control systems.
- Test insulators and bushings of equipment by inducing voltage across insulation, testing current, and calculating insulation loss.
- Repair, replace, and clean equipment and components such as circuit breakers, brushes, and commutators.
- Schedule and supervise the construction and testing of special devices and the implementation of unique monitoring or control systems.
- Schedule and supervise splicing or termination of cables in color-code order.
- Test oil in circuit breakers and transformers for dielectric strength, refilling oil periodically.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2017-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2017-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Calibrate instruments, such as transmitters.
- Use drones for inspection of high-voltage lines and other hard-to-reach equipment.
O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 5
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| electricity distribution worker | 7413.1 | close |
| power production plant operator | 3131.1 | close |
| electrical transmission system operator | 3131.1.2 | close |
| power plant control room operator | 3131.1.7 | close |
| electrician | 7411.1 | broader |
| industrial electrician | 7411.1.1.2 | broader |
| electrical power distributor | 3131.1.1 | broader |
| street lighting electrician | 7413.1.3 | broader |
| building electrician | 7411.1.1 | broader |
| overhead line worker | 7413.1.2 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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