Career profile · 49-2095
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay
Inspect, test, repair, or maintain electrical equipment in generating stations, substations, and in-service relays.
What the work can involve
- 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.
- Open and close switches to isolate defective relays, performing adjustments or repairs.
- Notify facility personnel of equipment shutdowns.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves vocational training, related experience or an associate-level route. It does not mean every course in a related subject meets the requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Monitoring
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
- Public Safety and Security
- English Language
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Getting Information
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
- Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician385 institutions →
- Power Plant Technology/Technician5 institutions →
- Electrical and Power Transmission Installation/Installer, General81 institutions →
- Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians, Other22 institutions →
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 75.0%07/2017 · sample 28 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Every day | 40.2%07/2017 · sample 28 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 52.1%07/2017 · sample 28 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Every day | 62.2%07/2017 · sample 28 |
| Spend Time Sitting | Less than half the time | 61.3%07/2017 · sample 27 |
| Spend Time Standing | More than half the time | 31.1%07/2017 · sample 27 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | More than half the time | 41.0%07/2017 · sample 27 |
| Time Pressure | Once a week or more but not every day | 57.0%07/2017 · sample 28 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Every day | 98.0%07/2017 · sample 28 |
| Work Schedules | Irregular (changes with weather conditions, production demands, or contract duration) | 52.1%07/2017 · sample 27 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Analytical or scientific software: Fluke Corporation FlukeView Forms, OMICRON Test Universe
- Compliance software: Megger PowerDB
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook
- Industrial control software: Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
- Internet browser software: Web browser software
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- Typical on-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 48 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $95,150 | $45.75 | 280 |
| Alaska | $125,260 | $60.22 | 80 |
| Arizona | $79,160 | $38.06 | 160 |
| Arkansas | $101,120 | $48.62 | 260 |
| California | $121,520 | $58.42 | 1,680 |
| Colorado | $125,560 | $60.37 | 210 |
| Connecticut | $109,610 | $52.70 | 210 |
| Florida | $101,780 | $48.93 | 910 |
| Georgia | $106,930 | $51.41 | 540 |
| Hawaii | $127,330 | $61.22 | 70 |
| Idaho | $119,170 | $57.29 | 100 |
| Illinois | $107,470 | $51.67 | 420 |
| Indiana | $105,700 | $50.82 | 290 |
| Iowa | $86,490 | $41.58 | 120 |
| Kansas | $104,970 | $50.46 | 280 |
| Kentucky | $98,860 | $47.53 | 130 |
| Louisiana | $80,610 | $38.76 | 370 |
| Maine | $92,570 | $44.51 | 160 |
| Maryland | $117,760 | $56.61 | Not published |
| Massachusetts | $119,460 | $57.43 | 430 |
| Michigan | $106,600 | $51.25 | 450 |
| Minnesota | $99,900 | $48.03 | Not published |
| Mississippi | $94,970 | $45.66 | 160 |
| Missouri | $96,850 | $46.56 | 290 |
| Montana | $97,380 | $46.82 | 130 |
| Nebraska | $104,850 | $50.41 | 60 |
| Nevada | $74,360 | $35.75 | Not published |
| New Hampshire | $81,020 | $38.95 | 50 |
| New Jersey | $111,600 | $53.65 | 450 |
| New Mexico | $100,410 | $48.27 | 140 |
| New York | $98,310 | $47.27 | 3,160 |
| North Carolina | $104,710 | $50.34 | 950 |
| North Dakota | $75,050 | $36.08 | 80 |
| Ohio | $98,700 | $47.45 | 1,120 |
| Oklahoma | $97,800 | $47.02 | 330 |
| Oregon | $131,050 | $63.01 | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $101,660 | $48.87 | 1,110 |
| Rhode Island | $107,980 | $51.91 | 30 |
| South Carolina | $91,140 | $43.82 | 230 |
| South Dakota | $101,830 | $48.96 | 40 |
| Tennessee | $96,840 | $46.56 | 430 |
| Texas | $102,470 | $49.26 | 2,360 |
| Utah | $114,250 | $54.93 | 100 |
| Vermont | $105,640 | $50.79 | 30 |
| Virginia | $99,390 | $47.79 | 910 |
| Washington | $125,620 | $60.39 | 410 |
| West Virginia | $97,600 | $46.92 | 70 |
| Wisconsin | $108,980 | $52.39 | 150 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 117 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians→
- Biomass Plant Technicians→
- Calibration Technologists and Technicians→
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians→
- Electrical and Electronics Drafters→
- Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers→
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians→
- Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other→
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
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 CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 49-2095.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.