# Geothermal Technicians

> Perform technical activities at power plants or individual installations necessary for the generation of power from geothermal energy sources. Monitor and control operating activities at geothermal power generation facilities and perform maintenance and repairs as necessary. Install, test, and maintain residential and commercial geothermal heat pumps.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/geothermal-technicians
- SOC code: 49-9099.01
- Career family: Installation and repair
- Median annual pay: $49,230 (10th percentile $36,080, 90th percentile $77,040)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +2.6%
- Openings a year: 18,300
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections
- Pay and outlook are for the broader BLS group "Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other".

## Interest profile (code RCI)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 90 |
| Investigative (I) | 41 |
| Artistic (A) | 0 |
| Social (S) | 11 |
| Enterprising (E) | 13 |
| Conventional (C) | 67 |

## What you'd do

- Getting Information (importance 86/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 86/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 83/100)
- Controlling Machines and Processes (importance 82/100)
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment (importance 81/100)
- Handling and Moving Objects (importance 79/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 76/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 76/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 74/100)
- Performing General Physical Activities (importance 74/100)

## Skills

Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Troubleshooting, Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Quality Control Analysis, Reading Comprehension, Active Learning, Complex Problem Solving, Equipment Maintenance

## Knowledge

Mechanical, English Language, Physics, Education and Training, Public Safety and Security, Chemistry, Design, Mathematics, Telecommunications, Production and Processing

## Also called

Corrosion Technician, Design Technician, Distribution Field Technician, Field Distribution Technician, Geothermal Field Technician, Geothermal HVAC Technician (Geothermal Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Technician), Geothermal Installer, Geothermal Service Technician, Geothermal System Installer, Geothermal Technician

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4701) (CIP 4701, 301 colleges)
- [Precision Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4704) (CIP 4704, 33 colleges)
- Mechanics and Repairers, General (CIP 4700, 20 colleges)
- Energy Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians (CIP 4707, 17 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Bunker Hill Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/bunker-hill-community-college-334) | Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | $126,485 | $136,013 | not reported |
| [Western Wyoming Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/western-wyoming-community-college-3244) | Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | $85,961 | $120,646 | not reported |
| [New River Community College-Virginia](https://www.collegesref.com/college/new-river-community-college-virginia-1859) | Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | $74,804 | $84,571 | not reported |
| [Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/thaddeus-stevens-college-of-technology-2715) | Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | $67,236 | $80,864 | $11,000 |
| [Ranken Technical College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/ranken-technical-college-2188) | Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | $59,880 | $77,127 | $12,000 |
| [Shelton State Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/shelton-state-community-college-2408) | Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | $84,004 | $74,695 | not reported |
| [Lurleen B Wallace Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/lurleen-b-wallace-community-college-1556) | Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | $47,234 | $71,895 | not reported |
| [Northwest Iowa Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/northwest-iowa-community-college-1948) | Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | not reported | $66,319 | not reported |

## Related careers

- [Hydroelectric Plant Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/hydroelectric-plant-technicians): $102,040 median pay
- [Geothermal Production Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/geothermal-production-managers): $126,060 median pay
- [Power Plant Operators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/power-plant-operators): $102,040 median pay
- [Biomass Plant Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/biomass-plant-technicians): $102,040 median pay
- [Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/stationary-engineers-and-boiler-operators): $78,620 median pay
- [Wind Turbine Service Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/wind-turbine-service-technicians): $64,120 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.