What do they do?
Coordinate, regulate, or distribute electricity or steam.
Also known as:
Control Area Operator, Control Operator, Control Room Operator, Dispatcher, Distribution System Dispatcher (DSD), DSO (Distribution System Operator), Electric System Operator, Power System Dispatcher, Power System Operator, Steam and Power Panel Operator, Systems Operator, Transmission Operator, Transmission System Operator (TSO), Utilities Operator
No Data Available
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-8.8%
Change
Ranks #42 in job growth rate40Job Openings
Ranks #6 in net job growth
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- Some college, no degree (32%)
- High school diploma equivalent (28%)
- Bachelor's degree (18%)
- Associate's degree (17%)
- Master's degree (4%)
- Less than high school diploma (2%)
- Doctorate or Professional Degree (<1%)
Most Popular Majors that prepare Power Distributors and Dispatchers
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#1
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Degrees Granted
11,538
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Female Students
5,113
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Male Students
6,425
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Median Starting Salary
$40,800
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#2
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Degrees Granted
4,308
-
Female Students
652
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Male Students
3,656
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Median Starting Salary
$59,800
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#3
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Degrees Granted
3,228
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Female Students
1,402
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Male Students
1,826
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Median Starting Salary
$43,800
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#4
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Degrees Granted
2,498
-
Female Students
1,016
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Male Students
1,482
-
Median Starting Salary
$43,800
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#5
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Degrees Granted
2,271
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Female Students
458
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Male Students
1,813
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Median Starting Salary
$50,800
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People in this career often have these skills:
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
People in this career often know a lot about:
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
- Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
People in this career often have talent in:
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
People in this career often do these activities:
- Exchange information with colleagues.
- Operate energy distribution equipment.
- Direct operational or production activities.
- Plan production or operational procedures or sequences.
- Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
- Record operational or production data.
- Calculate specific material, equipment, or labor requirements for production.
- Inspect production equipment.
- Monitor external factors impacting operations.
- Adjust equipment to ensure optimal performance.
This page includes data from:
Career data: O*NET 30.0 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
Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics
Videos: CareerOneStop, USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development
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