Energy

A 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Analyst designs and evaluates strategies that match electricity consumption with carbon-free generation on an hourly — or sub-hourly — basis, rather than relying on annual average matching. Working at the intersection of power markets, grid operations, and corporate sustainability commitments, these analysts build the models, procure the contracts, and report the results that allow organizations to credibly claim carbon-free electricity around the clock.

An AI Energy Engineer is an employee of an electric utility, generation company or grid operator who builds and maintains the machine learning and generative AI tools the company's own forecasting, grid operations, asset and compliance teams rely on. The title is emerging, and BLS does not track it separately. The work sits between IT, data science and power engineering: load and renewable forecasts, outage-risk models and document assistants, all kept under human review. Pay is proxied by software developers in electric power generation, transmission and distribution, who earned a median of $132,970 in May 2025, with the 10th to 90th percentile running from $95,920 to $168,440.

Battery Energy Storage Engineers design, commission, and optimize utility-scale and commercial battery energy storage systems (BESS) — most commonly lithium-ion installations paired with solar or operating as standalone grid assets. They are responsible for system architecture, performance modeling, controls integration, safety compliance, and the operational data that determines whether a project hits its contracted dispatch targets.

Battery Storage Operations Technicians install, commission, monitor, and maintain utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) at grid-connected facilities. They work across the full stack of a storage project — from individual cell modules and inverters to SCADA dashboards and grid interconnection equipment — ensuring systems meet contractual availability targets, stay within thermal and electrical operating limits, and comply with NERC and utility interconnection requirements.

Behind-the-Meter Power Engineers design, commission, and optimize distributed energy systems — solar PV, battery energy storage, demand response, and microgrid controls — installed on the customer side of the utility meter. They work at the intersection of power electronics, utility interconnection rules, and building load management, turning customer energy assets into reliable, cost-effective systems that can arbitrage rates, reduce demand charges, and in some cases operate islanded from the grid.

BESS Project Managers lead the development, engineering, procurement, and construction of battery energy storage system projects from site control through commercial operation. They coordinate interconnection, permitting, EPC contractors, and equipment suppliers while managing schedule, budget, and risk for projects ranging from 10 MW to multi-hundred-megawatt standalone storage facilities or co-located solar-plus-storage developments.

Blending Operators mix crude oil derivatives, refined fuels, lubricants, and petrochemical feedstocks to precise specifications at refineries, fuel terminals, and chemical plants. They control automated blending systems and perform manual adjustments to hit product quality targets — octane ratings, viscosity grades, flash points, and additive concentrations — before finished product ships to downstream customers.

Building Energy Modelers create and analyze computer simulations of buildings to predict energy consumption, test efficiency measures, and support code compliance, green certification, and decarbonization planning. They work at the intersection of mechanical engineering, architecture, and energy policy — translating building designs and retrofit proposals into quantified performance projections that guide capital investment decisions worth tens of millions of dollars.

A Carbon Capture Engineer designs, builds and tunes the equipment that pulls carbon dioxide out of power plant and industrial flue gas, or out of ambient air, then dries, compresses and hands it off for pipeline transport and underground storage or reuse. The role sits inside process engineering teams at energy producers, industrial emitters, engineering contractors and technology developers. BLS does not track the title on its own; the nearest occupation, chemical engineers, earned a median of $125,040 in May 2025, with the 10th and 90th percentiles at $79,420 and $182,880.

Carbon Markets Analysts research, price, and transact carbon credits and allowances across voluntary and compliance markets — including cap-and-trade programs like RGGI and California's AB 32, and voluntary registries like Verra and Gold Standard. They support trading desks, corporate sustainability teams, and project developers in valuing offsets, managing regulatory exposure, and executing carbon procurement strategies that increasingly sit at the center of energy company decarbonization plans.

CCUS Project Managers lead the development, engineering, and execution of carbon capture, utilization, and storage projects from feasibility through commissioning. They coordinate multidisciplinary teams across reservoir engineering, facilities design, regulatory permitting, and commercial agreements to deliver projects that permanently store CO₂ or convert it into useful products. The role sits at the intersection of oil and gas technical expertise, energy transition policy, and large-scale infrastructure project management.

Commercial Energy Managers oversee an organization's energy procurement, consumption, and cost strategy across its portfolio of commercial facilities. They negotiate utility contracts and power purchase agreements, identify efficiency opportunities, track regulatory and market changes, and translate energy data into capital and operating decisions that reduce costs and meet sustainability targets. The role sits at the intersection of commodity markets, building operations, and corporate finance.

Completion Engineers design and execute the programs that turn a drilled wellbore into a producing well — selecting perforation intervals, designing hydraulic fracture treatments, specifying completion hardware, and optimizing production from the wellbore outward. They sit at the intersection of reservoir engineering, drilling operations, and production, translating subsurface data into field execution plans that determine how much oil and gas a well will ultimately recover.

Data Center Electrical Engineers design, commission, and maintain the high-availability electrical infrastructure that keeps compute loads running without interruption. They work across power distribution systems, UPS systems, generators, switchgear, and cooling-adjacent electrical equipment at hyperscale, colocation, and enterprise data center facilities. The role sits at the intersection of utility-scale power engineering and mission-critical facility operations, where a single miswired breaker or an untested transfer switch can take down millions of dollars of compute capacity.

A Data Center Microgrids Engineer designs and runs the on-site power plant behind an AI data center: the gas engines or turbines, battery storage, solar and fuel cells that can carry the campus without the utility, plus the microgrid controller that decides when to island, how to share load and how to reconnect. The job sits with hyperscale operators, data center developers, engineering firms and energy companies that build and own on-site generation. The closest BLS occupation is Electrical Engineers, whose May 2025 national pay ran from $76,550 at the 10th percentile to $184,300 at the 90th, with a median of $120,630.

Decarbonization Strategy Consultants advise energy companies, utilities, industrials, and governments on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across their operations, supply chains, and capital portfolios. They build emissions inventories, model abatement pathways, evaluate low-carbon technologies, and translate scientific and regulatory requirements into commercially viable action plans that clients can actually execute.

Demand Response Specialists design, enroll, and manage programs that incentivize commercial, industrial, and residential energy customers to reduce or shift electricity consumption during peak grid stress events. They serve as the operational link between utilities, grid operators, and end-use customers — translating tariff schedules and reliability requirements into curtailment strategies that keep the grid stable without building additional generation capacity.

DER Coordinators manage the integration, dispatch, and performance monitoring of distributed energy resources — solar, battery storage, EV charging, demand response, and small-scale generation — into electric utility grids. They sit at the intersection of grid operations, customer programs, and regulatory compliance, ensuring DER assets perform reliably, meet interconnection requirements, and contribute to grid stability without compromising power quality or system security.

Directional Drillers plan and execute wellbore trajectories through subsurface formations, steering drill bits along precise paths to hit reservoir targets that vertical wells cannot reach. Working at the wellsite around the clock, they use measurement-while-drilling (MWD) and logging-while-drilling (LWD) data to make real-time steering decisions that determine whether a well delivers its production potential — or misses the target entirely.

Distribution Engineers design, analyze, and maintain the medium- and low-voltage electric distribution systems that deliver power from substations to homes and businesses. Working for electric utilities, cooperatives, and consulting firms, they size conductors, design protection schemes, model power flow, and shepherd capital projects from initial load study through construction and energization. The role sits at the intersection of classical power systems engineering and the fast-moving technology of grid modernization.

A Distribution System Operator controls the local electric grid from a utility control room, running the feeders, reclosers and substation breakers that carry power from the substation to homes and businesses. The operator writes and issues switching orders, grants clearances so line crews can work on dead equipment, and directs restoration when a storm or equipment failure knocks customers out. O*NET files the title under Power Distributors and Dispatchers, a BLS occupation with a May 2025 median wage of $106,730. The job runs around the clock, suits people who already know distribution hardware from the field, and on automated feeders includes supervising restoration schemes as well as running switching by hand.

Drilling Supervisors — often called company men or wellsite leaders — are the operator's on-site representative during well construction, responsible for everything that happens from spud to rig release. They direct drilling contractor personnel, enforce the well program, manage day-rate costs, and make real-time decisions on mud weight, bit selection, casing points, and well control. The role sits at the intersection of subsurface engineering and field execution, and the decisions made on the rig floor have immediate consequences measured in millions of dollars.

Drilling Technicians operate and maintain the equipment used to bore wells for oil, natural gas, water, and geothermal energy. They work on drill rigs monitoring downhole conditions, adjusting drilling parameters, and keeping equipment running safely under physically demanding conditions.

Electrolyzer Technicians install, commission, operate, and maintain electrolysis systems that split water into hydrogen and oxygen using electrical current. They work at green hydrogen production facilities, industrial gas plants, and power-to-gas projects, ensuring electrolyzer stacks, balance-of-plant equipment, and safety systems operate reliably within specification. As hydrogen infrastructure scales rapidly, this role sits at the center of one of the fastest-growing segments in the energy transition.

An energy analyst builds the models, forecasts and written analysis that utilities, power producers, grid operators, regulators and consultancies use to price electricity, value generation assets and plan for demand. The job sits between engineering, economics and finance: one week brings a load forecast, the next a power purchase agreement valuation or a comment on a tariff filing. BLS does not track energy analysts as a separate occupation. Financial and investment analysts working in electric power generation, transmission and distribution earned a median of $104,670 in May 2025, with the 10th percentile at $75,680 and the 90th percentile at $160,260.

Energy Efficiency Auditors inspect residential, commercial, and industrial buildings to identify energy waste and recommend cost-effective improvements. They perform blower door tests, infrared scans, lighting and HVAC inventories, and ASHRAE Level 1, 2, and 3 audits, then translate findings into ranked retrofit recommendations with payback calculations and incentive pathways.

Energy Environmental Compliance Specialists ensure that power plants, pipelines, upstream oil and gas operations, and renewable energy facilities operate within the requirements set by the EPA, state environmental agencies, and permit conditions. They track regulatory changes, manage environmental permits, coordinate air and water monitoring programs, and represent the facility during agency inspections — serving as the bridge between field operations and the regulatory framework those operations must satisfy.

An Energy Forward Deployed Engineer is a customer-embedded software engineer who makes a vendor's grid, storage or analytics product work inside a specific utility, grid operator or energy company. The job sits between product engineering and the customer's planners, operators and field teams: building data connectors to SCADA, GIS and meter systems, adapting models to local conditions, and shipping working tools within short engagements under utility security controls. BLS does not report the title separately; software developers employed by utilities earned a median of $134,780 in May 2025, with a range of $96,170 to $169,650 between the 10th and 90th percentiles.

Energy Industry Safety Managers design, implement, and enforce occupational health and safety programs at power generation facilities, oil and gas operations, refineries, and renewable energy sites. They own the regulatory compliance posture under OSHA PSM, EPA RMP, and applicable state rules while building the safety culture that keeps workers, contractors, and communities free from harm. The role sits at the intersection of field operations, engineering, and regulatory affairs, requiring both technical depth and the management credibility to drive behavior change across a workforce that operates 24/7 in physically demanding environments.

Energy Management Systems Engineers design, configure, operate, and maintain the software and hardware platforms that grid operators use to monitor and control electric transmission networks in real time. They sit at the intersection of power systems engineering and enterprise software, keeping the EMS/SCADA stack reliable during routine operations, major system upgrades, and grid emergencies. Their work directly supports the decisions that balance generation and load across interconnected power grids serving millions of customers.

Energy Project Finance Analysts structure, model, and evaluate the financing of capital-intensive energy infrastructure — wind farms, solar projects, gas pipelines, battery storage, and LNG terminals. They build the financial models that determine whether a project gets built, sit at the intersection of engineering assumptions and capital markets, and support deal teams through financial close on transactions that can range from $50 million to several billion dollars.

Energy Risk Analysts quantify, monitor, and report the market, credit, and operational risks embedded in a company's energy trading book, physical asset portfolio, or supply portfolio. Working at the intersection of commodity markets, quantitative finance, and operations, they produce the daily risk metrics — VaR, Greeks, mark-to-market exposure — that traders, risk managers, and executives use to make capital allocation and hedging decisions.

Energy Storage Sales Engineers bridge the gap between battery energy storage system (BESS) technology and customer buying decisions at utilities, C&I accounts, and project developers. They own the technical side of the sales process — sizing systems, modeling economics, responding to RFPs, and guiding prospects from initial interest through contract close. The role demands equal fluency in megawatt-hour economics and customer relationship management.

Energy Traders buy and sell physical and financial power, natural gas, and related commodities in wholesale markets — placing positions in day-ahead and real-time auctions at ISOs like PJM, MISO, ERCOT, and CAISO, hedging utility load and generation portfolios, or speculating on price spreads at proprietary trading firms. The job combines fundamental analysis, market structure expertise, and disciplined risk management.

EV Charging Infrastructure Technicians install, commission, troubleshoot, and maintain electric vehicle charging equipment — from Level 2 chargers in workplaces and multifamily buildings to 350 kW DC fast charging stations at highway corridors. They work across the boundary between electrical contracting, networked equipment troubleshooting, and customer service.

EV Charging Network Operations Managers oversee the real-time performance, maintenance, and growth of public or commercial EV charging infrastructure — managing everything from network uptime and service dispatch to utility coordination and customer experience. They sit at the intersection of energy systems, field operations, and software platforms, responsible for keeping hundreds or thousands of charging stations online and meeting service-level targets in a market that is expanding faster than the workforce trained to support it.

EV Charging Station Project Managers plan, coordinate, and deliver the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure — from single-site commercial deployments to multi-site corridor networks. They manage contractors, utilities, permitting agencies, and equipment vendors to bring charging stations online on schedule and within budget, while navigating utility interconnection timelines, grant compliance, and site host relationships that vary widely from project to project.

EV Fleet Electrification Consultants guide commercial, municipal, and utility clients through the end-to-end process of converting combustion vehicle fleets to battery-electric operation. They assess current fleet composition and usage patterns, design charging infrastructure, model total cost of ownership, and manage utility interconnection — translating complex technical and financial tradeoffs into decisions that fleet operators can execute confidently.

Fuel Cell Engineers design, develop, test, and optimize fuel cell systems that convert hydrogen or other fuels directly into electricity through electrochemical reactions. They work across the full development stack — from membrane electrode assembly materials and stack architecture to balance-of-plant integration, degradation modeling, and system controls — at automotive OEMs, stationary power companies, aerospace firms, and national laboratories.

Fuel Terminal Operators control the loading, unloading, storage, and transfer of petroleum products, chemicals, and liquid bulk commodities at fuel terminals, tank farms, and distribution hubs. Working across control rooms and outdoor facilities around the clock, they maintain product quality, execute transfer orders, and keep hazardous-material handling within regulatory limits. The role is the operational backbone of the downstream petroleum supply chain.

Geophysicists in the energy sector use seismic data, gravity surveys, electromagnetic methods, and subsurface modeling to locate and characterize hydrocarbon reservoirs, geothermal resources, and CO2 storage sites. They work alongside geologists, drilling engineers, and reservoir engineers to reduce subsurface uncertainty and inform decisions worth hundreds of millions of dollars in capital. The role blends rigorous physics, software-intensive data interpretation, and applied earth science across onshore and offshore settings. Demand for experienced interpreters stays tight even as total industry headcount has trended down through 2026, and machine learning increasingly speeds up fault detection and attribute analysis without replacing the interpreter's judgment.

A Geothermal Engineer designs and runs the wells, reservoirs and surface plants that turn underground heat into electricity or direct heat. The work sits between drilling and reservoir engineering on one side and power plant engineering on the other, for plant operators, developers of enhanced geothermal systems, drilling and consulting firms, and federal research programs. BLS does not report geothermal engineers separately. For mechanical engineers in electric power generation, transmission and distribution, the closest published row, the May 2025 OEWS band runs from $81,940 at the 10th percentile to $168,640 at the 90th, with a median of $122,620.

Green Hydrogen Project Developers originate, structure, and advance utility-scale electrolysis and hydrogen production projects from site selection through financial close and into construction. They sit at the intersection of renewable energy development, electrochemical engineering, and project finance — coordinating offtake negotiations, permitting, interconnection, and equipment procurement to bring projects from concept to shovel-ready status for developers, utilities, and industrial off-takers.

Grid Cybersecurity Engineers protect electric utility infrastructure — generation facilities, transmission substations, distribution control systems, and energy management systems — from cyber threats. They design and operate security controls that meet NERC CIP regulatory standards while keeping operational technology (OT) systems available and reliable. The role sits at the intersection of information security, industrial control systems engineering, and federal energy regulation.

Grid Interconnection Specialists manage the technical and regulatory process of connecting new generation and storage projects to electric transmission and distribution systems. They navigate FERC-regulated interconnection queues, coordinate power flow and protection studies with transmission owners, and serve as the primary technical liaison between project developers, independent system operators, and utilities — translating complex grid engineering requirements into actionable project milestones.

Grid Operations Engineers keep the bulk electric system stable in real time. They monitor transmission flows, manage voltage and frequency, coordinate generator dispatch, and execute switching during contingencies, working from control rooms at utilities, independent system operators (ISOs), and balancing authorities under NERC reliability standards. The role increasingly covers large flexible loads like data centers, since NERC's Large Load Task Force has made interconnection behavior and ride-through performance a standing operations concern rather than a one-time planning question. Engineers split time between real-time desk support and the engineering work behind it: deriving operating limits, writing procedures, and reviewing how new resources and loads will behave under stress before they're allowed to connect.

Heat Reuse Engineers design, analyze, and optimize systems that capture waste heat from industrial processes, power generation, and HVAC systems and redirect it as usable energy. Working across manufacturing plants, data centers, refineries, and district energy networks, they apply thermodynamics, heat transfer, and process engineering principles to reduce fuel consumption, lower carbon emissions, and improve overall energy efficiency — making industrial facilities measurably cheaper and cleaner to operate.

Hydroelectric Plant Operators monitor and control the generation, transmission, and water-handling equipment at hydroelectric power facilities — from large federal dams operated by the Bureau of Reclamation and Army Corps to small run-of-river plants owned by utilities and independent operators. They balance unit dispatch against reservoir levels, downstream flow requirements, and grid demand, often around the clock.

Hydrogen Production Engineers design and operate the facilities that produce hydrogen — whether through alkaline or PEM electrolysis, steam methane reforming with carbon capture, or autothermal reforming. They are responsible for process design, plant performance, hydrogen purity specifications, safety case management, and the carbon intensity calculations that determine eligibility for 45V production tax credits and offtaker contracts.

Hyperscale Energy Procurement Managers source, negotiate, and manage the power supply agreements that keep large-scale data center campuses running on carbon-free or cost-competitive electricity. They structure power purchase agreements, renewable energy certificates, and capacity contracts across multiple grid regions, translating complex wholesale market mechanics into procurement strategies that meet both the financial targets and the sustainability commitments of hyperscale technology companies.

Lineworkers — also called linemen, line technicians, or journeyman linemen — build, maintain, and repair the overhead and underground electrical distribution and transmission lines that carry power from substations to customers. They work energized circuits up to 500 kV from bucket trucks, hooks and gaffs, or live-line tools, often in storm response conditions and at all hours.

Liquid Cooling Systems Engineers design, commission, and optimize water-based and dielectric thermal management systems for high-density computing infrastructure, industrial power electronics, and energy conversion equipment. They work at the intersection of mechanical engineering, fluid dynamics, and electrical systems — ensuring that heat generated by CPUs, GPUs, power converters, and batteries is moved efficiently enough to prevent failure, maintain performance, and reduce overall energy consumption.

LNG Plant Operators run the liquefaction trains, storage tanks, and marine loading facilities that turn natural gas into liquefied natural gas at minus 260°F for export by ship. Working rotating shifts at facilities like Sabine Pass, Cameron, Freeport, Plaquemines, Rio Grande, and Port Arthur LNG, they manage cryogenic processes, boil-off gas handling, and ship loading operations under tight safety constraints set by PHMSA, FERC, and the Coast Guard.

Load Growth Planning Engineers analyze current and projected electricity demand to help utilities, grid operators, and energy developers plan infrastructure investments, generation resources, and transmission upgrades. They build load forecasting models, evaluate distributed energy resource impacts, and translate demand projections into actionable capacity plans that keep the grid reliable and cost-effective as customer behavior and electrification trends reshape consumption patterns.

Methane Emissions Specialists identify, measure, and reduce methane leaks and venting events across oil and gas production, gathering, transmission, and distribution systems. They design and execute leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs, manage EPA Subpart W and OOOOa/b reporting obligations, and work directly with field operations teams to reduce Scope 1 emissions in compliance with federal and state regulations.

Microgrid Engineers design, integrate, and commission distributed energy systems that can operate independently from or in parallel with the utility grid. They work across solar, battery storage, generators, and advanced controls to deliver reliable, cost-effective power to campuses, military bases, remote communities, and industrial facilities. The role spans feasibility analysis, detailed electrical design, system integration, and long-term performance optimization.

Midstream Operations Managers oversee the daily operations of pipeline, compression, gathering, and processing assets that move natural gas, crude oil, and NGLs from production areas to market. They are accountable for throughput targets, operating budgets, PHMSA and FERC regulatory compliance, and the safety performance of field operations crews across potentially thousands of miles of infrastructure.

Mud Engineers — formally drilling fluids engineers — design, monitor, and adjust the drilling fluid system that lubricates the bit, controls formation pressure, and carries cuttings to surface on active rigs. They work primarily for service companies such as Baroid, M-I SWACO, Newpark, and Tetra, rotating onto wellsite assignments where their job is to keep the mud system performing within engineered limits 24 hours a day.

NERC Compliance Specialists ensure that electric utilities, transmission operators, and generation owners meet the mandatory reliability standards enforced by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and its regional entities. They interpret Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) and Operations and Planning standards, manage evidence collection, prepare for audits, and translate regulatory requirements into operational procedures that keep the bulk electric system reliable and the organization out of penalty exposure.

A Nuclear Engineer applies reactor physics, heat transfer and radiation science to the design, licensing and safe operation of nuclear power plants, research reactors, naval propulsion plants and the fuel cycle. In the energy sector the work centers on reload and core design, safety analysis, plant modifications and the regulatory paperwork that keeps a reactor inside its license. Employers include utilities, national laboratories, the federal government, engineering firms and reactor developers. BLS reported a May 2025 median wage of $133,970 for nuclear engineers, with the 10th percentile at $92,960 and the 90th at $196,290.

Nuclear Fuel Engineers design, analyze, and manage the nuclear fuel assemblies that power commercial reactors and research facilities. They perform neutronics and thermal-hydraulic calculations to ensure fuel operates within regulatory limits, support fuel cycle optimization to reduce operating costs, and serve as the technical bridge between fuel vendors, reactor operators, and the NRC licensing process.

Nuclear Plant Restart Engineers lead the engineering, licensing, and operational readiness activities required to return a dormant or partially decommissioned nuclear power plant to commercial service. Working at the intersection of NRC regulatory compliance, plant systems engineering, and outage planning, they coordinate across disciplines to rebuild the technical basis — updated safety analyses, equipment qualification records, procedure revisions, and workforce training programs — that a plant must demonstrate before the NRC authorizes restart.

Nuclear Safety Engineers analyze, evaluate, and document the safety basis of nuclear facilities — commercial power reactors, research reactors, fuel cycle facilities, and DOE weapons complex sites. They develop and maintain the licensing basis documents, perform deterministic and probabilistic risk assessments, and ensure that design changes, operating procedures, and plant modifications don't compromise the safety margins regulators and the facility design require.

Nuclear Technicians support the operation, maintenance, and safety monitoring of nuclear reactors and radiation-producing equipment at power plants, research institutions, and medical facilities. They monitor radiation levels, handle radioactive materials, and assist nuclear engineers and health physicists in keeping plants running within regulatory limits.

Offshore Wind Engineers design, install, commission, and maintain the turbines, foundations, and electrical infrastructure that generate power from wind installations in ocean environments. They work across the full project lifecycle — from geotechnical and structural assessments during development, through procurement and construction management, to operations and maintenance once a project is generating. The role sits at the intersection of marine engineering, electrical systems, and project execution in one of the most actively expanding segments of the energy sector.

An Oil and Gas Operations Manager is in charge of the producing side of an oil and gas company: the wells, tank batteries, gathering lines, compression and field crews in an assigned area, along with the operating budget and compliance record that come with them. The role sits between field superintendents and asset or regional leadership at exploration and production companies and oilfield service firms. BLS counts the job within General and Operations Managers, and in the Oil and Gas Extraction industry that occupation earned a median of $215,670 in May 2025, with the 10th percentile at $78,270 and the 90th at $372,520.

An oil and gas production engineer is the petroleum engineer accountable for producing wells after they come online: keeping them flowing through artificial lift design, well surveillance, workovers and surface facility fixes, while holding down lease operating costs. The role sits on an operator's asset team between reservoir engineering, completions and field operations, and it mixes desk analysis with regular wellsite visits. O*NET files it under Petroleum Engineers. In BLS May 2025 data for petroleum engineers in oil and gas extraction, pay ran from $109,600 at the 10th percentile to $292,330 at the 90th, with a median of $180,080.

Oil Surveyors — also called petroleum measurement technicians or gaugers — measure, verify, and document the volume and quality of crude oil, condensate, and natural gas liquids transferred between producers, pipelines, and refineries. Their readings are the legal basis for custody transfer transactions worth millions of dollars per day.

Outage Coordinators plan, schedule, and manage the complex maintenance shutdowns — called outages — that keep power plants, substations, and generation facilities running safely and efficiently. They synchronize the work of operations, maintenance, engineering, contractors, and regulators across compressed timelines where every hour of unplanned delay costs real money. The role sits at the intersection of project management, plant operations, and utility grid reliability.

A petroleum engineer designs and runs the work that brings oil and natural gas from underground reservoirs to the surface: estimating reserves, planning wells, designing completions and keeping wells producing at a profit. The job is based at oil and gas operators, oilfield service companies and engineering firms, with time split between offices and well sites. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median annual wage of $144,910 for petroleum engineers in May 2025, with the 10th percentile at $81,440 and the 90th percentile at $253,200. The work divides into reservoir, drilling, completions and production specialties.

Petroleum Geologists identify, evaluate, and de-risk subsurface hydrocarbon accumulations to guide drilling and development decisions in upstream oil and gas. Working with seismic data, well logs, core samples, and basin models, they define reservoir geometry, estimate recoverable resources, and recommend drilling locations — converting geologic uncertainty into actionable capital decisions for operators and exploration companies.

Photovoltaic System Inspector verify that residential, commercial, and utility-scale solar installations meet electrical codes, fire codes, manufacturer specifications, and applicable jurisdictional requirements before and after energization. Working for utilities, municipalities, third-party inspection firms, or as independent consultants, they serve as the final authority on whether a PV system is safe, code-compliant, and ready to interconnect to the grid.

Pipeline Controllers monitor and operate interstate and intrastate transmission pipelines from centralized control rooms, managing the flow of natural gas, crude oil, or refined products across hundreds or thousands of miles of infrastructure. They adjust pressures, control compressor and pump stations remotely, respond to alarms, and execute emergency procedures to protect public safety, environmental compliance, and delivery commitments — 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Pipeline Inspectors verify the structural and operational integrity of oil, gas, and liquids pipelines — examining welds, coatings, cathodic protection systems, and inline inspection (ILI) data to identify defects before they become incidents. They work for operators, third-party inspection firms, and regulators under PHMSA pipeline safety rules and serve as the technical eyes on assets that often run thousands of miles underground.

A Pipeline Integrity Engineer decides whether each segment of a gas transmission or hazardous liquid pipeline can keep running at its rated pressure until the next inspection, and what must be dug up and repaired first. The work sits inside an operator's federally required integrity management program, built on in-line inspection data, corrosion surveys and risk models. BLS does not track the title. Mechanical engineers employed in pipeline transportation, the nearest match, earned a median $104,320 in May 2025, with the 10th percentile at $79,670 and the 90th at $141,340.

Plant Maintenance Engineers design, manage, and execute maintenance programs that keep power generation and energy processing facilities running at peak reliability. They own the preventive and predictive maintenance strategy for rotating and static equipment, lead root cause analyses on failures, and coordinate with operations to minimize unplanned downtime. The role sits at the intersection of mechanical engineering judgment and daily operational pressure.

Power Markets Analysts research, model, and forecast wholesale electricity market dynamics to support trading decisions, asset valuation, and regulatory strategy for utilities, independent power producers, and energy trading firms. They combine quantitative modeling, knowledge of FERC-regulated market rules, and real-time market surveillance to translate raw ISO/RTO price signals into actionable intelligence for commercial and operational teams.

A Power Plant O&M Engineer keeps an on-site generating plant available, efficient and within its air permit. On an AI data center campus that plant may be a bank of gas turbines, reciprocating engines or backup generators that the campus owns or contracts for, and the engineer owns its maintenance strategy, outage planning, failure analysis and emissions compliance rather than running the control board shift to shift. BLS does not track the title separately. Mechanical engineers in the electric power generation, transmission and distribution industry earned a May 2025 median of $122,620, with a 10th to 90th percentile range of $81,940 to $168,640.

Power Plant Operators control and monitor the generators, boilers, turbines, and auxiliary systems that produce electricity at fossil, combined-cycle, biomass, and increasingly hybrid renewable facilities. They run rotating shifts from a control room, respond to system frequency and dispatch instructions, and keep the plant available to meet load while staying within emissions and reliability limits. The generating fleet they run keeps expanding as data center and electrification demand pushes coal retirements later and adds new gas capacity, even though federal projections show flat-to-declining headcount per plant as automation and remote operations centers take on more routine monitoring.

Power Purchase Agreement Managers structure, negotiate, and administer long-term contracts for the sale and purchase of electricity between generators and offtakers — utilities, corporations, municipalities, and grid operators. They sit at the intersection of energy law, project finance, and market operations, translating complex regulatory and commercial terms into bankable agreements that move renewable and conventional power projects from development into construction and operations.

Power Systems Engineers design, analyze, and optimize electrical generation, transmission, and distribution systems — from utility-scale grid infrastructure to industrial power networks and renewable energy interconnections. They model load flows, evaluate fault conditions, specify protection schemes, and ensure that complex electrical systems operate reliably within regulatory and reliability standards set by NERC, IEEE, and applicable utility tariffs.

A Radiation Protection Technician monitors and controls radiation exposure where radioactive material is handled: commercial nuclear power plants, Department of Energy laboratories and cleanup sites, and research and fuel facilities. The job covers radiation and contamination surveys, radiological work permits, dosimetry, area postings, and job coverage during maintenance and refueling outages. Plant staff often call it RP tech or HP tech; DOE sites use radiological control technician. BLS classifies the work under nuclear technicians, whose May 2025 median annual wage was $110,240, with the 10th percentile at $73,150 and the 90th at $133,600. BLS says nuclear technicians typically need an associate degree in nuclear science or a nuclear-related technology, then receive extensive on-the-job training.

Reactor Decommissioning Specialists plan and execute the safe, compliant dismantlement of nuclear reactors and associated radioactive systems at end-of-life power plants, research reactors, and government facilities. They manage radiological characterization, waste stream classification, structural demolition sequencing, and NRC license termination requirements from initial planning through final site release.

Reactor Operators are NRC-licensed control room professionals who directly operate the reactor and primary plant systems at commercial nuclear power plants. They manipulate the controls during normal operations, startups, shutdowns, and transients, execute emergency operating procedures, and carry personal regulatory accountability for keeping the reactor within its licensed operating envelope. The role demands procedural discipline and simulator-driven requalification, with compensation reflecting the high stakes and specialized training required. Salaries range from $98K to $165K, with SROs and Shift Managers earning at the top of that band.

A Refinery Operator runs the distillation, hydrotreating, cracking and blending units that turn crude oil into fuels and feedstocks, working rotating shifts between a control room console and the process unit. The job sits inside the BLS occupation for petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers, and the work runs under OSHA's Process Safety Management standard. Operators qualify for each post through an employer training program. In petroleum and coal products manufacturing, the industry group that includes refineries, BLS reported a May 2025 median of $103,160, with the 10th and 90th percentiles at $73,010 and $117,660.

Refining Process Engineers design, optimize, and troubleshoot the chemical and mechanical processes that convert crude oil into fuels, petrochemicals, and specialty products. They own the technical performance of process units — from atmospheric distillation and fluid catalytic cracking to hydrotreaters and reformers — and work daily at the intersection of process safety, yield optimization, and capital project execution. The role sits between operations and engineering leadership, translating unit data into actionable process improvements.

Relay Protection Engineers design, test, commission, and maintain protective relay systems that safeguard electrical power equipment — transformers, generators, transmission lines, and buses — from faults, overloads, and abnormal operating conditions. They work at utilities, independent power producers, and engineering consulting firms, ensuring that protective devices operate correctly and that the bulk electric system stays stable during disturbances.

Renewable Energy Credit Traders buy and sell RECs, SRECs, I-RECs, and related environmental attributes on behalf of utilities, corporations, and financial intermediaries seeking to meet renewable portfolio standards or voluntary sustainability commitments. They manage a book of bilateral and exchange-traded positions, monitor state and federal policy developments that move credit prices, and execute transactions that align supply from renewable generators with compliance and voluntary demand.

Renewable Energy Sales Managers lead teams that sell solar, wind, battery storage, and related clean-energy products and services to commercial, industrial, utility, and residential customers. They own revenue targets, manage sales pipelines, coach account executives, and coordinate with engineering and finance to get complex deals across the line. The role sits at the intersection of technical product knowledge, project finance fluency, and traditional sales leadership.

Renewable PPA Originators develop and close long-term power purchase agreements between renewable energy project developers and corporate or utility offtakers. They source new deal opportunities, structure contract terms, run financial models, negotiate directly with buyers and sellers, and shepherd transactions through credit approval and internal risk review — functioning as the commercial engine that converts megawatts of generation capacity into contracted revenue streams.

Reservoir Engineers characterize and forecast the subsurface behavior of oil and gas accumulations. They build numerical reservoir simulation models, history-match production data, generate EUR forecasts, evaluate development scenarios, and book reserves under SEC and SPE-PRMS standards. Their work shapes capital allocation, A&D valuations, and recovery strategies across the asset lifecycle.

A Roustabout is the entry-level general hand of the oil and gas field, assembling and repairing equipment, moving pipe, and cleaning and maintaining rigs, well pads and tank batteries. Roustabouts work for drilling contractors, well-servicing companies, lease maintenance firms and producers, on land and offshore, and they learn the trade on the job with no experience or degree required to start. The Bureau of Labor Statistics put the median wage for roustabouts at $46,960 in May 2025, with the middle 80 percent earning between $36,420 and $64,530. The job can lead to floorhand, derrickhand, equipment operator and lease operator roles.

SCADA Engineers design, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot the supervisory control and data acquisition systems that monitor and control critical energy infrastructure — pipelines, substations, power plants, and distribution networks. They sit at the intersection of industrial control systems (ICS), communications networking, and operations technology (OT) cybersecurity, translating field device data into real-time visibility for operators and ensuring that control commands execute reliably around the clock.

Small Modular Reactor Engineers design, analyze, and support the licensing and deployment of nuclear reactors rated below 300 MWe — compact, factory-fabricated units intended for grid decarbonization, industrial heat, and remote power applications. They work across neutronics, thermal-hydraulics, systems engineering, and regulatory interface to move SMR concepts from design certification through construction and commercial operation.

Smart Grid Data Analysts extract actionable intelligence from the massive data streams generated by advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), SCADA systems, and distributed energy resources. They build models that identify outage patterns, detect meter tampering, optimize demand response programs, and inform grid investment decisions. The role sits at the intersection of power systems engineering and data science, and is growing in importance as utilities deploy millions of smart meters and integrate variable renewable generation.

Smart Meter Technicians install, test, troubleshoot, and replace advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) at residential, commercial, and small industrial accounts. They handle meter changeouts, communications module replacements, head-end provisioning, and the field investigations that follow when a meter stops reporting or returns suspect data.

A solar engineer designs photovoltaic power systems and turns a site survey, a load profile and a utility's interconnection rules into drawings a crew can build and an inspector can approve. The work spans rooftop and carport systems through ground-mount plants, inside developers, EPC contractors, engineering consultancies, utilities and installers. O*NET files the role under Solar Energy Systems Engineers, which BLS counts within Engineers, All Other. For that group, BLS reported a May 2025 median of $122,930 a year, with the 10th percentile at $66,810 and the 90th at $189,950.

Solar O&M Technicians maintain, troubleshoot, and repair photovoltaic systems at utility-scale solar farms, commercial rooftop installations, and distributed generation sites. They perform preventive maintenance, diagnose inverter and array faults, and restore systems to full production capacity — keeping megawatts online and performance ratios within contract specifications. The role sits at the intersection of electrical craft work, data-driven diagnostics, and outdoor fieldwork across all weather conditions.

Solar Panel Installers — also called PV installers — mount, wire, and commission photovoltaic systems on rooftops, ground mounts, and carports. They handle the physical installation of racking, modules, inverters, and conduit while coordinating with electricians on the AC side of the system.

Solar Plant Operators monitor, control, and maintain utility-scale solar power facilities — photovoltaic (PV) arrays, inverter banks, substation equipment, and balance-of-plant systems — to maximize energy output and keep the facility within grid and regulatory requirements. Working from control rooms and in the field, they respond to alarms, perform equipment rounds, coordinate with grid operators, and support maintenance activities that keep hundreds of megawatts online around the clock.

Solar Plus Storage Integration Engineers design, specify, and commission co-located photovoltaic and battery energy storage systems (BESS) for utility-scale, commercial, and industrial applications. They sit at the intersection of power electronics, grid interconnection, and energy management software — translating developer energy yield targets and utility interconnection agreements into functioning assets that deliver contracted capacity and ancillary services reliably over a 20-to-30-year project life.

Solar Project Developers originate and shepherd utility-scale solar (and increasingly solar-plus-storage) projects from greenfield site identification through notice-to-proceed. They secure land control, navigate interconnection queues, manage permitting and community engagement, and structure offtake agreements that get projects financed.

Solar PV Designers produce the engineering drawings, system layouts, and electrical designs that turn a rooftop or ground-mount solar proposal into a permitted, buildable project. Working across residential, commercial, and utility-scale segments, they use CAD and PV simulation software to optimize system performance, satisfy interconnection requirements, and generate permit-ready document packages that move projects from sales to installation.

Solar Sales Representatives prospect, qualify, and close contracts for rooftop and ground-mount solar installations — primarily residential systems but increasingly commercial and industrial accounts. They educate homeowners and business owners on energy economics, design preliminary system proposals, walk customers through financing options, and hand off signed agreements to engineering and installation crews. The role is heavily commission-driven, field-based, and sits at the revenue front end of the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. energy industry.

Substation Electricians construct, commission, test, and maintain the equipment inside electric transmission and distribution substations — power transformers, breakers, switchgear, protective relays, batteries, and SCADA. They keep substations available and reliably switching power between transmission and distribution systems, often working on energized buses and in close coordination with system operators.

A Transmission Planning Engineer is an electrical engineer who studies how the high-voltage grid will perform years ahead and specifies the lines, transformers and other upgrades it needs. The role sits in the planning group of an electric utility, a regional grid operator or an engineering consultancy, and its studies feed interconnection decisions, regulatory filings and capital budgets. BLS does not track the title separately and counts planners among electrical engineers. In the electric power generation, transmission and distribution industry, electrical engineers earned a median of $122,430 in May 2025, with the 10th percentile at $81,280 and the 90th at $161,300.

Underground Cable Splicers install, terminate, and splice high-voltage and medium-voltage power cables buried in conduit systems, duct banks, and direct-buried installations across electric utility distribution and transmission networks. They work in manholes, vaults, and trenches to join conductors, apply insulation systems, and restore cable circuits that keep residential, commercial, and industrial customers supplied with power.

Utility Account Managers serve as the primary relationship interface between an electric, gas, or water utility and its commercial, industrial, or key account customers. They manage a portfolio of large-volume accounts, help customers navigate rate structures and demand response programs, coordinate service requests, and act as the customer's internal advocate when outages, billing disputes, or tariff changes arise. The role sits at the intersection of sales, technical consulting, and account retention.

Utility-Scale Solar Project Managers lead the development, engineering, procurement, and construction of solar power plants ranging from 20 MW to 500+ MW. They own project schedules, budgets, and contractor relationships from Notice to Proceed through commercial operation, coordinating landowners, utilities, permitting agencies, and EPC contractors while managing the financial and technical risks that determine whether a project gets built on time and within budget.

Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Systems Engineers design, integrate, and optimize bidirectional EV charging systems that allow electric vehicles to export stored energy back to the power grid or building loads. They sit at the intersection of power electronics, grid operations, and EV communication protocols, working with utilities, automakers, fleet operators, and building energy management systems to turn parked vehicles into dispatchable grid assets.

Virtual Power Plant Engineers design, operate, and optimize software-defined power systems that aggregate distributed energy resources — batteries, rooftop solar, controllable loads, and EV chargers — into a coordinated grid asset. They sit at the intersection of power systems engineering, real-time controls, and energy market participation, translating megawatts of scattered capacity into dispatchable grid services that compete alongside conventional generation.

Weatherization Technicians assess, retrofit, and seal residential and commercial buildings to reduce energy loss and lower utility costs for homeowners and tenants. Working under DOE Weatherization Assistance Program guidelines or private contractors, they install insulation, air seal building envelopes, upgrade HVAC systems, and conduct diagnostic testing to verify energy performance improvements.

A wellsite geologist is the operator's geoscientist on a drilling location, describing cuttings, reading gas and logging-while-drilling data, and calling formation tops, casing points and steering changes as the well is drilled. The job sits between the mud logging crew, the directional driller and the operator's office geology team, and it may be filled by an operator employee or a consultant. BLS groups the role with geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers, whose May 2025 national pay ran from $59,330 at the 10th percentile to $200,230 at the 90th, with a median of $101,920. Pay in oil and gas extraction runs well above that national median.

Wind Farm Operations Managers oversee the safe, compliant, and profitable operation of utility-scale wind energy facilities — typically 50 to 500+ turbines — including maintenance programs, grid interconnection compliance, HSE performance, and the field teams responsible for executing all of it. They sit at the intersection of asset performance, regulatory accountability, and people management, and they are directly answerable for the revenue impact of every hour a turbine sits idle.

Wind Plant Asset Managers oversee the operational, financial, and contractual performance of wind energy facilities on behalf of owners and investors. They sit at the intersection of engineering, finance, and regulatory compliance — responsible for maximizing energy production, managing service contractors, protecting asset value, and reporting performance to ownership groups ranging from utilities to private equity funds.

Wind Project Developers identify, acquire, and advance utility-scale wind energy projects from initial site prospecting through land control, permitting, interconnection, and financial close. They sit at the intersection of real estate, environmental law, grid engineering, and project finance — managing multiple project tracks simultaneously while negotiating with landowners, regulators, utilities, and offtake counterparties to bring renewable energy capacity online.

Wind Resource Assessment Analysts evaluate the wind energy potential of prospective and operating wind farm sites by processing meteorological data, running mesoscale and microscale flow models, and producing uncertainty-quantified energy yield estimates. Their analyses are the technical foundation for multi-hundred-million-dollar investment decisions, project financing, and turbine layout design. The role sits at the intersection of atmospheric science, data engineering, and project development.

Wind Turbine Blade Inspectors assess the structural integrity of rotor blades on utility-scale wind turbines, identifying damage such as leading-edge erosion, delamination, lightning strike damage, and surface coating failures. Working at heights up to 300 feet via rope access, drones, or elevated platforms, they document findings with standardized imaging and written reports that drive repair prioritization and maintenance budgets. Their assessments directly affect turbine availability, energy output, and asset lifespan for wind farm operators.

A Wind Turbine Technician, often called a windtech, installs, inspects, maintains and repairs the turbines that turn wind into grid electricity. The work combines mechanical, electrical and hydraulic troubleshooting with climbing and rope work at height, and it happens at wind farms for owners and operators, turbine manufacturers, independent service companies and construction contractors. BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as the typical entry-level education, followed by long-term on-the-job training. In May 2025, BLS reported a median annual wage of $64,120 for wind turbine service technicians, with the 10th percentile at $49,230 and the 90th percentile at $92,460.