SOC 51-8012.00

    Power Distributors and Dispatchers

    Coordinate, regulate, or distribute electricity or steam.

    Median pay
    $106,730
    Growth
    +1.2%
    Slower than average
    Openings a year
    700
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $72,440
    Median
    $106,730
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $154,270
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    8,520 people work in this occupation.

    What power distributors and dispatchers do

    Job Zone 3: Medium preparation

    Coordinate, regulate, or distribute electricity or steam.

    Usually vocational training, an associate degree or related experience.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    70 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    24 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    0 / 100
    Social (S)
    16 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    35 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    69 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCE. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    93
    Getting Information
    93
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    90
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    88
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    87
    Working with Computers
    87
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    84
    Analyzing Data or Information
    83
    Processing Information
    82
    Documenting/Recording Information
    82
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Critical Thinking
    • Monitoring
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Speaking
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Operations Monitoring
    • Operation and Control
    • Writing

    Knowledge

    • English Language
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Mathematics
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Telecommunications
    • Engineering and Technology
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Mechanical
    • Education and Training
    • Physics

    Abilities

    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Written Comprehension
    • Near Vision
    • Written Expression
    • Information Ordering
    • Perceptual Speed

    Work styles

    • Cautiousness
    • Dependability
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Attention to Detail
    • Integrity
    • Self-Control
    • Adaptability
    • Perseverance
    • Self-Confidence
    • Cooperation

    Also called

    Auxiliary Operator · Board Operator · Control Area Operator · Control Board Operator · Control Operator · Control Room Operator · Dispatcher · Distribution A Class Lineman · Distribution Lineman · Distribution Operator

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What power distributors and dispatchers may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Licenses by state

    1 state lists a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

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    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    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.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.