What Does it Take to Be a Hydroelectric Plant Technician?

Job Description & Duties Monitor and control activities associated with hydropower generation. Operate plant equipment, such as turbines, pumps, valves, gates, fans, electric control boards, and battery banks. Monitor equipment operation and performance and make necessary adjustments to ensure optimal performance. Perform equipment maintenance and repair as necessary.

Daily Life Of a Hydroelectric Plant Technician

• Lift and move loads, using cranes, hoists, and rigging, to install or repair hydroelectric system equipment or infrastructure.
• Test and repair or replace electrical equipment, such as circuit breakers, station batteries, cable trays, conduits, or control devices.
• Perform preventive or corrective containment or cleanup measures in hydroelectric plants to prevent environmental contamination.
• Inspect water-powered electric generators or auxiliary equipment in hydroelectric plants to verify proper operation or to determine maintenance or repair needs.
• Connect metal parts or components in hydroelectric plants by welding, soldering, riveting, tapping, bolting, bonding, or screwing.
• Monitor hydroelectric power plant equipment operation and performance, adjusting to performance specifications, as necessary.

What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Hydroelectric Plant Technician?

Below is a list of the skills most Hydroelectric Plant Technicians say are important on the job.

Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Types of Hydroelectric Plant Technician Jobs

• Hydroelectric Operator
• Hydroelectric Production Technician
• Hydroelectric Operations Maintenance Technician
• Communications and Instrumentation Mechanic (C&I Mechanic)
• Power Plant Technician

What Kind of Hydroelectric Plant Technician Job Opportunities Are There?

There were about 12,100 jobs for Plant and System Operators in 2016 (in the United States).

New jobs are being produced at a rate of 1.9% which is lower than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 200 new jobs for Hydroelectric Plant Technicians by 2026. There will be an estimated 1,200 positions for Hydroelectric Plant Technician per year.

The states with the most job growth for Plant and System Operators are Louisiana, Florida, and Arizona.

Watch out if you plan on working in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, or West Virginia. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

How Much Does a Hydroelectric Plant Technician Make?

The average yearly salary of a Hydroelectric Plant Technician ranges between $34,580 and $81,750. A Hydroelectric Plant Technician median salary is $57,100.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for jobs of this type in different U.S. states.

Annual Mean Salary by State

State	Annual Mean Salary
California	$69,480
Washington	$68,600
Hawaii	$68,500
Minnesota	$67,770
Kansas	$66,380
Alaska	$65,360
Connecticut	$65,360
Wisconsin	$64,240
Illinois	$63,770
Massachusetts	$63,710
New York	$63,550
Idaho	$63,100
Virginia	$62,820
New Jersey	$62,690
Iowa	$62,060
Michigan	$62,000
Montana	$60,360
Maryland	$60,260
Indiana	$60,160
Nevada	$59,180
Oregon	$58,800
Mississippi	$58,280
South Carolina	$57,790
North Carolina	$57,370
Missouri	$56,330
Tennessee	$55,980
Pennsylvania	$55,250
West Virginia	$54,870
Arizona	$54,740
Louisiana	$54,610
Kentucky	$53,540
Utah	$53,520
Alabama	$53,280
Florida	$53,060
New Mexico	$53,040
Arkansas	$52,910
Texas	$52,850
Oklahoma	$52,740
Ohio	$52,440
North Dakota	$52,260
Colorado	$50,910
Maine	$44,000
Georgia	$42,540
Nebraska	$41,410

Tools & Technologies Used by Hydroelectric Plant Technicians

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Hydroelectric Plant Technicians may use on a daily basis:

• Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Excel

How to Become a Hydroelectric Plant Technician

Learn what Hydroelectric Plant Technician education requirements there are.

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Hydroelectric Plant Technicians Are Employed

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons