Power Distributors and Dispatchers Career, Salary and Skills
Power Distributors and Dispatchers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $106,730 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 8,520. Wage data is published for 76 locations.
Occupation description
Coordinate, regulate, or distribute electricity or steam.
O*NET code
51-8012.00
Job zone
3
Typical education
Post-Secondary Certificate
Experience
Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$106,730
Hourly median
$51.31
Employment
8,520
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
$72,440
10th
$90,200
25th
$106,730
Median
$130,940
75th
$154,270
90th
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Monitoring | 3.62 | 3.50 |
| Active Listening | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Speaking | 3.50 | 3.38 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Writing | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Operation and Control | 3.12 | 3.12 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
Technology
- ABB MicroSCADA Pro DMS
- ABB MicroSCADA Pro SYS
- ABB PSGuard
- Catapult Software iPower SCADA
- Distribution automation system software
- Distribution management system DMS
- Energy management system EMS
- Geographic information system GIS software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Power Distributors and Dispatchers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers Salary in TXMedian $102,890 · Employment 970
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers Salary in CAMedian $137,570 · Employment 670
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers Salary in PAMedian $98,930 · Employment 560
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers Salary in MIMedian $116,780 · Employment 450
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers Salary in MAMedian $121,010 · Employment 390
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers Salary in WAMedian $144,710 · Employment 380
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers Salary in OHMedian $100,320 · Employment 360
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers Salary in ORMedian $137,490 · Employment 340
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $106,730 · Employment 330
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers Salary in VAMedian $81,080 · Employment 330
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers Salary in ILMedian $101,470 · Employment 330
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers Salary in New York, NYMedian $134,250 · Employment 330
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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.