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Wind Energy Engineer

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All About Wind Energy Engineers

Job Description & Duties Design underground or overhead wind farm collector systems and prepare and develop site specifications.

Wind Energy Engineer Responsibilities

  • Test wind turbine equipment to determine effects of stress or fatigue.
  • Investigate experimental wind turbines or wind turbine technologies for properties such as aerodynamics, production, noise, and load.
  • Recommend process or infrastructure changes to improve wind turbine performance, reduce operational costs, or comply with regulations.
  • Monitor wind farm construction to ensure compliance with regulatory standards or environmental requirements.
  • Perform root cause analysis on wind turbine tower component failures.
  • Create or maintain wind farm layouts, schematics, or other visual documentation for wind farms.

Skills Needed to be a Wind Energy Engineer

When polled, Wind Energy Engineers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

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

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.

Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

  • Wind Turbine Design Engineer
  • Turbine Measurements Engineer
  • Wind Turbine Mechanical Engineer
  • Wind Farm Electrical Systems Designer
  • Wind Science and Planning

Are There Job Opportunities for Wind Energy Engineers?

In the United States, there were 132,500 jobs for Wind Energy Engineer in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.4% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 8,500 new jobs for Wind Energy Engineer by 2026. There will be an estimated 9,500 positions for Wind Energy Engineer per year.

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The states with the most job growth for Wind Energy Engineer are Nevada, Utah, and North Dakota. Watch out if you plan on working in Alaska, Minnesota, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

How Much Does a Wind Energy Engineer Make?

Wind Energy Engineers make between $50,750 and $155,650 a year.

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Wind Energy Engineers who work in District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia, make the highest salaries.

How much do Wind Energy Engineers make in different U.S. states?

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $115,710
Alaska $114,040
Arizona $94,450
Arkansas $71,510
California $107,700
Colorado $111,610
Connecticut $100,230
District of Columbia $132,530
Florida $82,970
Georgia $93,580
Hawaii $96,940
Idaho $110,270
Illinois $87,220
Indiana $73,340
Iowa $78,230
Kansas $82,060
Kentucky $79,690
Louisiana $90,580
Maine $85,800
Maryland $118,420
Massachusetts $109,220
Michigan $90,420
Minnesota $101,620
Mississippi $79,630
Missouri $86,850
Montana $79,590
Nebraska $82,760
Nevada $94,950
New Hampshire $99,070
New Jersey $114,990
New Mexico $114,790
New York $95,270
North Carolina $83,900
North Dakota $83,270
Ohio $93,370
Oklahoma $83,080
Oregon $90,720
Pennsylvania $96,550
Rhode Island $95,790
South Carolina $100,750
South Dakota $84,320
Tennessee $82,030
Texas $113,370
Utah $89,810
Vermont $81,960
Virginia $118,390
Washington $104,890
West Virginia $91,420
Wisconsin $86,600
Wyoming $97,040

Tools & Technologies Used by Wind Energy Engineers

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Wind Energy Engineers:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Git
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Web browser software
  • Python
  • Microsoft Access
  • Word processing software
  • Microsoft Project
  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Structured query language SQL
  • The MathWorks MATLAB
  • Linux
  • Microsoft Visual Basic
  • Extensible markup language XML
  • Microsoft SQL Server
  • UNIX

Becoming a Wind Energy Engineer

Are there Wind Energy Engineers education requirements?

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What work experience do I need to become a Wind Energy Engineer?

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Wind Energy Engineers Sector

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The table below shows the approximate number of Wind Energy Engineers employed by various industries.

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References:

Image Credit: luis gomes via CC0 License

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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