Power Plant Operators, Distributors, and Dispatchers

Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers control the systems that generate and distribute electric power.

Duties

Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers typically do the following:

• Control power-generating, distribution, or transmission equipment
• Read charts, meters, and gauges to monitor voltage and electricity flows
• Check equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems
• Adjust controls to regulate the flow of power
• Start or stop generators, turbines, and other equipment as necessary

Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers control power plants and the flow of electricity from plants to substations, which distribute electricity to businesses, homes, and other structures.

Nuclear power reactor operators control nuclear reactors. They maintain or adjust power output and monitor reactors, turbines, generators, and cooling systems. Operators start and stop equipment and record and evaluate data produced from monitoring instruments, ensuring that power-generation facilities are safe and efficient. They respond to abnormalities, determine the causes, and take corrective action. They also direct and inspect maintenance and testing activities.

Power distributors and dispatchers, also known as systems operators, control the flow of electricity as it travels from generating stations to substations and users. They monitor and operate current converters, voltage transformers, and circuit breakers over a network of transmission and distribution lines. They prepare and issue switching orders to route electrical currents around areas that need maintenance or repair. They also detect and respond to emergencies, such as transformer or transmission line failures, which can cause cascading power outages over the network.

Power plant operators control and maintain machinery to generate electricity from sources other than nuclear reactors. They use control boards and other equipment to distribute power among generators and to regulate the output of several generators. They monitor instruments to maintain voltage and electricity flows from the plant to meet fluctuating consumer demand throughout the day.

Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers held about 46,600 jobs in 2024. Employment in the detailed occupations that make up power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers was distributed as follows:

The largest employers of power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers were as follows:

Operators, distributors, and dispatchers who work in control rooms generally sit or stand at a control station. Their work requires constant attention. They also may do rounds, checking equipment and doing other work outside the control room. Transmission stations and substations where distributors and dispatchers work are typically in locations that are separate from the generating station where power plant operators work.

Employees of nuclear power plants and transmission stations usually work under heightened security to protect against nuclear plants’ vulnerability to attack.

Work Schedules

Most power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Operators, distributors, and dispatchers typically work rotating 8- or 12-hour shifts.

Work on rotating shifts, which may involve day or night work schedules that alternate over a specified time, can be stressful because of the constant changes in living and sleeping patterns.

Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers typically need at least a high school diploma or the equivalent to enter the occupation. Once hired, they typically receive extensive on-the-job training. Nuclear power reactor operators also need a license.

The median annual wage for power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers was $103,600 in May 2024.

Overall employment of power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers is projected to grow 10 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.

About 3,800 openings for power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.