The job of public utility companies is to provide energy services to the community. These services include gas, water, and electricity. Public utility jobs that pay the most, on average, over $120,000 a year. There are many types of these jobs, and workers at any stage of their lives can choose to do them.
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What Are Utilities for The Public?
People who live in a town can buy public utilities, which are local public services.
Public utilities are things like transit, pipelines, and phone services, as well as services like water and sewer, gas, and power. The money that public energy services bring in is used to make things like
- Giving money instead of taxes
- Making jobs
- Helping out local causes
14 Jobs in Public Utilities that Pay the Most
1. A worker at a water treatment plant
- $51,600 a year is the average national salary.
- Education Needed: At least a high school education
- There are 124,800 jobs available.
- -6% fewer jobs between 2022 and 2032
- People who work as operators in water treatment plants are in charge of the machines, operations, and processes that are needed to clean water.
A person who runs a water treatment plant might be responsible for the following:
- Taking care of the machines and tools needed to clean water
- Cleaning and treating water so people can drink it
2. Technician for Wind Turbines
- The average national salary is $57,320 per year.
- Needs Education: Vocational school
- 11,200 jobs are available.
- 45% job growth from 2022 to 2032, which is a lot faster than the average.
- Wind turbine technicians take care of wind turbines. This includes setting up, keeping an eye on, and fixing wind turbine equipment.
One of the best first jobs on this list is this one. You don’t need to have experience or a college degree. You can go to a trade school or vocational school or work for a company that trains you on the job.
It is the job of a wind turbine technician to fix wind turbines when they break down.
3. An Electrician
- The average national salary is $60,240 per year.
- A high school diploma is required for education.
- 762,600 jobs are available.
- 6% job growth from 2022 to 2032, which is faster than average.
- Electrical engineers fix, maintain, and set up power systems for people as part of their job. Because they work with electricity, electricians do dangerous jobs.
This is one of the most dangerous jobs because you could slip and fall, get electrical burns, start a fire or explosion, or be exposed to radiation, among other things.
You could be an electrician for the rest of your life, which has a lot of benefits. To decide if this job is right for you, you should weigh the risks and benefits.
What does an electrician do for a living?
- Set up and take care of electricity services
- Communication and lighting systems for service
Follow these links to learn more about how to become an electrician: how to write an electrician resume; and what does an electrician do?
4. A plumber
- The average national salary is $60,090 per year.
- A high school diploma is required for education.
- There are 482,700 jobs available.
- 2% job growth from 2022 to 2032 (as fast as average)
- Plumbers’ jobs include setting up, fixing, and taking care of plumbing equipment. A plumber can do a lot of different things for people, like snake a shower drain, unclog a toilet, fix a leaky faucet, and more.
You should be ready for the fact that plumbing is a dirty job. Being exposed to carcinogens, accidents, and getting hurt at work are some of the risks that come with the job, but the benefits may outweigh the risks:
- A cheap way to get started in this field is to go to an apprenticeship or trade school.
- You can make a good living.
- Chances for advancement
- Work that isn’t dull
The things that a plumber does for a living are:
- Plumbers install and fix things like pipes, toilets, sink faucets, and more.
- Putting together and taking care of drainage, sprinkler, and pipe systems
- Cleaning plumbing systems
If you want to become a plumber, start by updating your plumber resume.
5. Admin
- Median National Salary: $44,080/year
- A high school diploma is required for education.
- Number of Jobs: 3,399,200
- Job Growth 2022 – 2032: -10% (Decline)
Job Duties: Admin professionals in the public utility industry work on administrative tasks. If you have admin skills, you can work across many businesses, not just public utilities. Here are some examples of the work tasks you might do:
- Answering phones
- Scheduling talks
- Note-taking
- Making faxes
- Greet customers and answer basic questions
This job declined in growth, as more organizations are moving toward cheaper administrative options like virtual assistants, SAAS software, and other tools and resources.
Administrative workers handle clerical work in office settings. They help keep the office going smoothly, doing tasks like organizing and managing files, answering phones and emails, greeting customers, and answering general questions, among other job duties.
6. Power Systems Engineer
- Median National Salary: $104,610/year
- A bachelor’s degree is required for this job.
- Number of Jobs: 299,700
- Job Growth 2022 – 2032: 5% (Faster than average)
Job Duties: Power systems engineering work falls into the electrical engineering job field. Some examples of work you’ll do in this job include:
- Analyzing and optimizing power transfer systems
- Studying power systems and doing power line testing
- Data collection from vendors, subcontractors, and other parties
This job is considered one of the best jobs in public utilities, top-ranked for career potential and work-life balance.
Power systems engineers work on the management, study, research, and maintenance of power transmission systems and processes.
7. Nuclear Licensing Engineer
- Median National Salary: $122,480/year
- A bachelor’s degree is required for this job.
- 13,800 jobs are available.
- 1% job growth from 2022 to 2032
- Job Duties: A nuclear licensing engineer checks and studies nuclear power plant systems. Their goal is to handle the use of benefits that come from nuclear energy.
The job duties of a nuclear licensing engineer are to help control the effects of nuclear energy and radiation. They ensure nuclear equipment meets the basic safety checks and standards.
This career is projected to decline in job growth by 2030, as many nuclear jobs are. Green technologies using wind, solar, and hydroelectric energy are replacing these jobs.
If this job ever becomes obsolete in the future, transitioning to a green energy career is possible.
8. Senior Electrical Engineer
- Median National Salary: $124,503/year
- A bachelor’s degree is required for this job.
- Number of Jobs: 299,700
- Job Growth 2022 – 2032: 5% (Faster than average)
- Job Duties: Senior electrical engineers are responsible for the:
a. Design, creation, upkeep, and repair of electrical components and machines.
b. Leading the electrical engineering team
c. Supervising work duties
d. Providing apprentices with a coach
e. The Report
As a leader, senior electrical engineers are in charge of the electrical engineering team and plan and build machines that the company can use.
9. Engineer for A Power Plant
- The average national salary is $97,570 per year.
- A bachelor’s degree is required for this job.
- 47,300 jobs are available.
- Job Growth 2022 – 2032: -10% (Decline)
- Power plant engineers are in charge of running the day-to-day operations of the power plant.
Being a power plant engineer can be hard work, even though it’s one of the best-paid jobs in public utilities, and comes with some great perks. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the work can be hard, and if you’re new to the field, you should expect to be trained for years before you’re fully qualified.
Power plant engineers are in charge of the systems and processes that make electricity available to people.
10. A Utility Worker
- The average national salary is $96,310 per year.
- A bachelor’s degree is required for this job.
- There are 286,100 jobs available.
- 10% job growth from 2022 to 2032, which is a lot faster than the average.
- What they do: Utility engineers have a background in either mechanical or civil engineering. They plan and build energy systems and find and fix problems in those systems.
Power engineers are engineers who work in the power business. They plan, design, build, manage, and fix systems that provide services like gas, water, sewer, and more.
Engineering is an area that is always changing. If you’re good at dealing with change and want to do difficult work that will help you think more critically, becoming a utility engineer might be a great choice for you.
11. Underwriter for Energy
- The average national salary is $83,662 per year.
- A bachelor’s degree is required for this job.
- There are 125,500 jobs available.
- From 2022 to 2032, job growth will be -2%.
- As part of their job, energy underwriters look at the dangers that come with energy-related insurance policies, like those for oil and gas exploration, renewable energy projects, and power plants. They need to know about the rules, trends, and risks in the energy industry. They also need to be able to use their analytical and problem-solving skills to find and fix technology issues while making sure that the policies follow the law and industry standards.
12. Safety Engineer for Nuclear Criticality
- The average national salary is $115,957 per year.
- A bachelor’s degree is required for this job.
- 13,800 jobs are available.
- 1% job growth from 2022 to 2032
- A nuclear criticality safety engineer’s job is to come up with and test ways to safely move, handle, and store nuclear fuel so that accidents like nuclear reactions don’t happen. They need to know about the rules for nuclear safety and be able to use their analytical and problem-solving skills to find and fix technical problems that affect nuclear criticality safety. They also need to make sure that the facilities and tools meet safety and environmental standards.
13. Dispatcher for The Power System
- The average national salary is $107,418 per year.
- Education Needed: At least a high school education. You might also have to do an apprenticeship in electricity dispatching or running an electric utility.
- There are 9,380 jobs available.
- 1% job growth from 2022 to 2032
- Job Duties: A power system dispatcher’s job is to make sure that energy is sent to the right places, like homes, businesses, and power providers. A power system dispatcher’s job is to keep an eye on generator systems and figure out how much electricity is needed each day so that everything runs smoothly. A power system operator needs to use their judgment during extreme weather like heat waves or snowstorms. A power system dispatcher must also act quickly when there are reports of power outages or repairs and make sure that workers are sent to fix any problems.
14. Expert in Energy
- The average national salary is $69,885 per year.
- Education needed: a high school diploma and a professional license from a college or university.
- 11,282 jobs are available.
- 1% job growth from 2022 to 2032
- An energy consultant’s job is to look at how much energy people, companies, and organizations use and come up with ways for them to use less energy and save money on it. They need to know about technologies and rules for energy saving and be able to use their analytical and problem-solving skills to find and fix technical issues while making sure the solutions meet the client’s needs and requirements.