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Wind Turbine Service Technicians: Career Profile
Inspect, diagnose, adjust, or repair wind turbines. Perform maintenance on wind turbine equipment including resolving electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic malfunctions.
The Daily Work of Wind Turbine Service Technicians Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of wind turbine service technicians cover:
- Troubleshoot or repair mechanical, hydraulic, or electrical malfunctions related to variable pitch systems, variable speed control systems, converter systems, or related components.
- Perform routine maintenance on wind turbine equipment, underground transmission systems, wind fields substations, or fiber optic sensing and control systems.
- Diagnose problems involving wind turbine generators or control systems.
- Test electrical components of wind systems with devices, such as voltage testers, multimeters, oscilloscopes, infrared testers, or fiber optic equipment.
- Start or restart wind turbine generator systems to ensure proper operations.
- Climb wind turbine towers to inspect, maintain, or repair equipment.
- Maintain tool and spare parts inventories required for repair, installation, or replacement services.
- Test structures, controls, or mechanical, hydraulic, or electrical systems, according to test plans or in coordination with engineers.
What Wind Turbine Service Technicians Need to Know
Successful wind turbine service technicians rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Wind Turbine Service Technicians Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Commissioning Tech (Commissioning Technician)
- Energy Technician
- Field Service Technician
- Offshore Wind Turbine Technician
- Onsite Technician (Onsite Tech)
- Renewable Energy Specialist
- Renewable Energy Technician
- Service Technician
How Many Wind Turbine Service Technicians Are There?
There are about 424,924 wind turbine service technicians working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +14.9% over the projection horizon.
Wind Turbine Service Technicians Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $74,051 |
| Hourly median | $35.60 |
| 10th percentile | $42,584 |
| 25th percentile | $58,318 |
| 75th percentile | $89,785 |
| 90th percentile | $105,519 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Wind Turbine Service Technicians Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $85,570 |
| New Jersey | $81,920 |
| New York | $76,970 |
| Ohio | $76,960 |
| California | $75,330 |
| North Dakota | $75,110 |
| Wyoming | $74,640 |
| Kansas | $73,220 |
| Washington | $71,150 |
| South Carolina | $70,400 |
| Missouri | $68,160 |
| Indiana | $67,070 |
| Arizona | $66,710 |
| Oregon | $66,030 |
| North Carolina | $65,650 |
| Colorado | $64,630 |
| New Mexico | $64,390 |
| Alaska | $64,220 |
| Minnesota | $62,940 |
| Iowa | $62,040 |
| Texas | $61,790 |
| Michigan | $60,920 |
| Oklahoma | $59,620 |
| Maine | $58,990 |
| South Dakota | $57,780 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Earnings for wind turbine service technicians differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $79,068 | 3.6% | 0.30 |
| Far Western US | $71,907 | 8.1% | 0.72 |
| Great Lakes | $67,603 | 3.2% | 0.45 |
| Southeast | $66,837 | 1.5% | 0.31 |
| Plains States | $65,989 | 22.3% | 4.89 |
| Rocky Mountains | $65,881 | 6.2% | 2.81 |
| Southwest | $61,943 | 54.9% | 4.61 |
| New England | $58,990 | 0.3% | 0.66 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $105,370 | 60 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | CO | $66,220 | 220 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | TX | $63,060 | 250 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | TX | $62,400 | 700 |
| Greeley, CO | CO | $62,050 | 90 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | CA | $61,920 | 70 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | MO | $61,900 | |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | TX | $61,800 | 1,600 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of wind turbine service technicians are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Utilities | 4,830 | $64,630 |
| Construction | 2,330 | $63,060 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1,880 | $61,790 |
| Manufacturing | 540 | $64,330 |
| Wholesale Trade | 310 | $66,710 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 130 | $66,290 |
Wind Turbine Service Technicians work in the following industries:
Software Wind Turbine Service Technicians Use
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Structured query language SQL (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for wind turbine service technicians reflects the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection
- Exposed to High Places
- Exposed to Hazardous Conditions
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Education and Training
Typical wind turbine service technicians positions require some college, no degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Geothermal Production Managers (Supplemental)
- Hydroelectric Production Managers (Supplemental)
- Wind Energy Operations Managers (Primary-Short)
- Wind Energy Development Managers (Supplemental)
- Electrical Engineers (Supplemental)
- Wind Energy Engineers (Supplemental)
- Solar Energy Systems Engineers (Supplemental)
- Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians (Primary-Long)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for wind turbine service technicians typically earn programs in:
Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians
3 programs across 2 majors
Engineering Technologies and Engineering-Related Fields
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 49-9081.00 (Wind Turbine Service Technicians).
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