Occupation salary profile

Power Distributors and Dispatchers

SOC 51-8012 BLS OEWS May 2025

Coordinate, regulate, or distribute electricity or steam.

National median · BLS
$106,730
▼ -0.48% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$111,320
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
8,520
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Power Distributors and Dispatchers

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$72,440
25th$90,200
Median (50th)$106,730
75th$130,940
90th — top pay$154,270

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Power Distributors and Dispatchers

BLS projects employment of power distributors and dispatchers to grow 1.2% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 700 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
8,600 → 8,700
+100 jobs
Projected change
+1.2%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
700
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Power Distributors and Dispatchers

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening3.6
  • Critical Thinking3.6
  • Monitoring3.6
  • Reading Comprehension3.6
  • Speaking3.5
  • Complex Problem Solving3.3
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.3
  • Operations Monitoring3.3
  • Operation and Control3.1
  • Writing3.1
Top knowledge areas
  • English Language3.9
  • Public Safety and Security3.7
  • Mathematics3.5
  • Computers and Electronics3.5
  • Telecommunications3.5
  • Engineering and Technology3.5
  • Customer and Personal Service3.4
  • Mechanical3.3
Software and technology used
Microsoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordSAP softwareABB MicroSCADA Pro DMSABB MicroSCADA Pro SYSABB PSGuardCatapult Software iPower SCADADistribution automation system softwareDistribution management system DMSEnergy management system EMSGeographic information system GIS softwareMilsoft DisSPatchOSI monarch/SGPOutage management system OMS

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: 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. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What power distributors and dispatchers do

  • Coordinate with engineers, planners, field personnel, or other utility workers to provide information such as clearances, switching orders, or distribution process changes.
  • Respond to emergencies, such as transformer or transmission line failures, and route current around affected areas.
  • Control, monitor, or operate equipment that regulates or distributes electricity or steam, using data obtained from instruments or computers.
  • Direct personnel engaged in controlling or operating distribution equipment or machinery, such as instructing control room operators to start boilers or generators.
  • Distribute or regulate the flow of power between entities, such as generating stations, substations, distribution lines, or users, keeping track of the status of circuits or connections.
  • Manipulate controls to adjust or activate power distribution equipment or machines.
  • Prepare switching orders that will isolate work areas without causing power outages, referring to drawings of power systems.
  • Monitor and record switchboard or control board readings to ensure that electrical or steam distribution equipment is operating properly.
Also called
Power System DispatcherPower System OperatorSystems OperatorTransmission System Operator (TSO)Control Area OperatorControl OperatorDispatcherDistribution System Dispatcher (DSD)DSO (Distribution System Operator)Electric System Operator
More job titles for this occupation (28)
Auxiliary OperatorBoard OperatorControl Board OperatorControl Room OperatorDistribution A Class LinemanDistribution LinemanDistribution OperatorDistribution Systems ServicepersonElectrical Energy Distribution Technician (Electrical Energy Distribution Tech)Electrical Energy Storage Technician (Electrical Energy Storage Tech)Feeder Switchboard Operator (Feeder SWB Operator)Load DispatcherMotor Room ControllerPower and Recovery Shift EngineerReal Time OperatorStation OperatorSteam and Power Panel OperatorSteam Plant Control Room OperatorSubstation OperatorSwitchboard and Control Room Operator (SWB and Control Room Operator)Switchboard Operator (SWB Operator)Transmission OperatorUtilities OperatorUtility Distribution InspectorUtility InspectorUtility Switchboard Operator (Utility SWB Operator)Voltage InspectorWater Distribution Operator

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.