Nearly 590,000 utility industry professionals work tirelessly to make sure people have the electricity, heat, water, and telecommunications capability necessary to live their everyday lives. If you’ve ever considered a career as one of these essential workers, now is a great time to take a closer look.
As of August 2024, utility industry unemployment stood at well under 2%, while industry hourly wages have continued to climb. From January 2019 through the summer of 2024, industry-wide wages have risen nearly 25%.
The opportunities are especially strong within some of the “alternative power” sectors of the utility industry. Let’s take a look at a few of those sectors to see where the best employment opportunities are.
Solar
Solar photovoltaic installers assemble, install, and maintain rooftop systems and other systems that convert sunlight into energy. Roughly 25,000 people are employed in this field. Job prospects are quite strong, as 48% job growth is expected through 2033.
Employment opportunities
The top 10 U.S. states and cities currently employing the most solar photovoltaic installers are:
States
1. California
2. Arizona
3. Florida
4. New Jersey
5. Massachusetts
6. Colorado
7. Texas
8. Maryland
9. Utah
10. Pennsylvania
Cities
1. New York City, New York
2. Phoenix, Arizona
3. San Francisco California
4. Riverside, California
5. Houston, Texas
6. San Diego, California
7. Sacramento, California
8. San Jose, California
9. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
10. Baltimore, Maryland
Wages and compensation
As an industry average, solar installers earn roughly $23.46 an hour. The best earnings potential is within the electrical contractors sector in New Jersey where the average wage is $37.86, as well as the city with the best earning potential is Santa Cruz, California, with an average wage of $34.89 an hour. Along with the electrical contractors sector, solar installers also work in the utilities, heavy & civil engineering and construction sectors.
All factors considered, the following states and cities are paying the best wages for people to install solar systems in a variety of applications:
States
1. New Jersey
2. California
3. Hawaii
4. Arizona
5. New York
6. Maryland
7. Nevada
8. Utah
9. Massachusetts
10. Pennsylvania
Cities
1. Santa Cruz, California
2. Honolulu, Hawaii
3. San Francisco, California
4. New York City, New York
5. San Jose, California
6. Ogden, Utah
7. Washington, D.C.
8. Lancaster, Pennsylvania
9. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
10. Santa Rosa, California
Wind
Wind turbine service technicians inspect, diagnose, adjust, and repair wind turbines. They also provide routine maintenance on electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic systems. Roughly 9,800 wind turbine service technicians are employed across the country.
Employment opportunities
The top 10 states and cities employing the most wind turbine service technicians are:
States
1. Texas
2. Iowa
3. Colorado
4. California
5. Kansas
6. Washington
7. Minnesota
8. New York
9. North Dakota
10. Indiana
Cities
1. Houston, Texas
2. Dallas, Texas
3. Abilene, Texas
4. New York City, New York
5. Greeley, Colorado
6. Kansas City, Missouri
7. Bakersfield, California
8. Amarillo, Texas
9. Vallejo-Fairfield, California
10. Walla Walla, Washington
Wages and compensation
The average wage of a wind turbine service technician is $29.70 per hour. California leads the way with an average of $47.81 in the commercial & industrial machinery sector. In particular, Bakersfield, California leads the way with an average wage of $38.38 per hour.
Here’s a look at the top 10 states and cities for wind turbine service technician wages:
States
1. California
2. North Dakota
3. Texas
4. Iowa
5. Kansas
6. Washington
7. South Dakota
8. Pennsylvania
9. Minnesota
10. Oregon
Cities
1. Bakersfield, California
2. Walla Walla, Washington
3. New York City, New York
4. Vallejo-Fairfield, California
5. Providence, Rhode Island
6. Dallas, Texas
7. Houston, Texas
8. Amarillo, Texas
9. Greeley, Colorado
10. Abilene, Texas
Natural gas
Roughly 32,800 people are employed in a variety of occupations within the natural gas pipeline industry.
Employment opportunities
The top 10 states offering the most employment opportunities are:
1. Texas
2. Oklahoma
3. Pennsylvania
4. Louisiana
5. Michigan
6. West Virginia
7. Kansas
8. Colorado
9. Kentucky
10. Ohio
Wages and compensation
The average wage for all occupations within the natural gas pipeline industry is $46.82 an hour. Construction managers earn an average of $102.46 per hour. Facilities managers earn nearly $87. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers make $77 per hour. Those working in construction-related occupations average nearly $43 an hour.
The highest-paying states for people working various jobs within the natural gas pipeline Industry are:
1. Louisiana
2. Colorado
3. Texas
4. Mississippi
5. New Mexico
6. California
7. Montana
8. New York
9. Ohio
10. Pennsylvania
In conclusion
Choosing the best U.S. states and cities to seek employment as a solar, wind, or natural gas professional largely depends on where you’d like to live and work. Yes, certain states offer more employment opportunities and higher wages. But the industry as a whole is growing, is in urgent need of workers, and is paying higher wages than it has ever paid before. Now is a great time to build a great career as an alternative power utility worker—whichever state you choose.
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