Roughly 560,000 utility industry professionals work tirelessly to make sure people have the electricity, heat, water and telecommunications capability necessary to live their everyday lives. If you’ve ever considered a career as one of these essential workers, now is a great time to take a closer look.
From one segment of the utility industry to the other, employment opportunities and wages are both on the climb. As a whole, average industry hourly wages increased 20% from 2019 to 2023 alone.
The opportunities are especially strong within some of the “alternative power” sectors of the utility industry. Let’s take a look at a few of those sectors to see where the best employment opportunities are.
Solar
Solar Photovoltaic Installers assemble, install and maintain rooftop systems and other systems that convert sunlight into energy. Roughly 29,400 people were employed in this field in 2022. Job prospects are quite strong, as 22% job growth is expected through 2032.
Employment opportunities
The top 10 cities employing the most solar photovoltaic installers are:
1. San Francisco
2. Riverside, California
3. San Diego
4. Sacramento, California
5. New York
6. San Jose, California
7. Boston
8. Phoenix
9. San Antonio
10. Baltimore
Wages and compensation
As an industry average, solar installers earn roughly $21.75 an hour. The best earnings potential is in Ogden, Utah, where the average wage is $34.48 an hour. The following cities are paying the best wages for people to install solar systems:
1. Ogden, Utah
2. Santa Cruz, California
3. San Francisco
4. San Jose, California
5. Honolulu
6. New York
7. Washington, D.C.
8. Durham, North Carolina
9. San Diego
10. Baltimore
Wind
Wind Turbine Service Technicians inspect, diagnose, adjust and repair wind turbines. They also provide routine maintenance on electrical, mechanical and hydraulic systems. Roughly 9,830 wind turbine service technicians are employed across the country.
Employment opportunities
The top 10 cities employing the most wind turbine service technicians are:
1. Houston
2. Dallas
3. Bakersfield, California
4. Oklahoma City
5. Kansas City, Missouri
6. Philadelphia
7. Amarillo, Texas
8. Wichita, Kansas
9. Pittsburgh
Tie 10. Vallejo, California
Tie 10. Providence, Rhode Island
Wages and compensation
The average wage of a wind turbine service technician is nearly $29 per hour. Pittsburgh leads the way with an average of $34.57. Here’s a look at the top 10 cities for wind turbine service technicians wages:
1. Pittsburgh
2. Vallejo, California
3. Bakersfield, California
4. Wichita, Kansas
5. Amarillo, Texas
6. Providence, Rhode Island
7. Dallas
8. Houston
9. Oklahoma City
10. Kansas City, Missouri
In conclusion
Choosing the best cities to seek employment as a solar installer or wind turbine service technician largely depends on where you’d like to live and work. Yes, certain cities offer more employment opportunities and higher wages. But the industry as a whole is growing, is in urgent need of workers, and is paying higher wages than it has ever paid before. Now is a great time to build a great career as an alternative energy utility worker—whichever city you choose.
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