Power Distributors and Dispatchers
Coordinate, regulate, or distribute electricity or steam.
- O*NET-SOC code
51-8012.00 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$106,730
Employment, U.S.8,520
Median hourly wage$51.31
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $72,440 | $90,200 | $106,730 | $130,940 | $154,270 |
By state (38)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 190 | $114,570 | 1.60 |
| Arizona | 70 | $98,510 | 0.38 |
| Arkansas | 210 | $117,370 | 2.90 |
| California | 670 | $137,570 | 0.68 |
| Florida | 260 | $101,060 | 0.48 |
| Georgia | 90 | $80,560 | 0.33 |
| Idaho | 60 | $136,550 | 1.28 |
| Illinois | 330 | $101,470 | 0.99 |
| Indiana | 90 | $129,080 | 0.54 |
| Iowa | $102,980 | ||
| Kansas | 90 | $116,810 | 1.20 |
| Kentucky | 140 | $105,600 | 1.30 |
| Maine | 100 | $121,520 | 2.75 |
| Maryland | 50 | $113,660 | 0.33 |
| Massachusetts | 390 | $121,010 | 1.94 |
| Michigan | 450 | $116,780 | 1.87 |
| Minnesota | 100 | $105,630 | 0.60 |
| Mississippi | 90 | $98,960 | 1.45 |
| Missouri | 100 | $105,450 | 0.63 |
| Nebraska | 240 | $98,570 | 4.25 |
| Nevada | 100 | $138,300 | 1.20 |
| New Jersey | 330 | $128,220 | 1.42 |
| New Mexico | 40 | $79,580 | 0.86 |
| New York | 150 | $139,390 | 0.29 |
| North Carolina | 190 | $90,420 | 0.70 |
| Ohio | 360 | $100,320 | 1.17 |
| Oklahoma | 50 | $105,530 | 0.56 |
| Oregon | 340 | $137,490 | 3.19 |
| Pennsylvania | 560 | $98,930 | 1.69 |
| South Carolina | 190 | $91,570 | 1.48 |
| South Dakota | 30 | $130,270 | 1.36 |
| Tennessee | 100 | $79,910 | 0.57 |
| Texas | 970 | $102,890 | 1.26 |
| Virginia | 330 | $81,080 | 1.47 |
| Washington | 380 | $144,710 | 1.94 |
| West Virginia | 50 | $101,960 | 1.26 |
| Wisconsin | 40 | $83,140 | 0.22 |
| Wyoming | 70 | $120,210 | 4.46 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Traffic Technicians | 3 | 0.957 |
| 2 | Environmental Compliance Inspectors | 4 | 0.953 |
| 3 | Nuclear Monitoring Technicians | 3 | 0.953 |
| 4 | Hydroelectric Production Managers | 3 | 0.952 |
| 5 | Transportation Inspectors | 4 | 0.951 |
| 6 | Government Property Inspectors and Investigators | 3 | 0.950 |
| 7 | Energy Auditors | 3 | 0.950 |
| 8 | Nuclear Power Reactor Operators | 3 | 0.949 |
| 9 | Wind Energy Operations Managers | 3 | 0.948 |
| 10 | Non-Destructive Testing Specialists | 1-2 | 0.948 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Power Distributors and Dispatchers, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuclear Monitoring Technicians | Science | 1.87 | 0.953 |
| Nuclear Power Reactor Operators | Troubleshooting | 0.87 | 0.949 |
| Occupational Health and Safety Technicians | Writing | 0.88 | 0.943 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand | Social Perceptiveness | 0.76 | 0.940 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | Quality Control Analysis | 1.00 | 0.939 |
| Nuclear Technicians | Troubleshooting | 1.00 | 0.935 |
| Telecommunications Engineering Specialists | Active Learning | 0.88 | 0.934 |
| Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians | Science | 2.00 | 0.933 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Power Distributors and Dispatchers, excluding software Power Distributors and Dispatchers already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Structure query language SQL | 5 of 20 | 11.0x |
| Microsoft Project | 11 of 20 | 2.5x |
| Autodesk AutoCAD | 10 of 20 | 2.7x |
| National Instruments LabVIEW | 6 of 20 | 4.5x |
| Linux | 7 of 20 | 2.6x |
| Geographic information system GIS systems | 5 of 20 | 3.8x |
| Microsoft SQL Server | 6 of 20 | 2.9x |
| Python | 7 of 20 | 2.4x |
| Statistical software | 4 of 20 | 4.6x |
| Hewlett Packard LoadRunner | 3 of 20 | 6.6x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.50 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.50 | 3.38 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 3.00 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.88 | 1.25 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.50 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.50 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.75 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 3.86 | 3.46 |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.66 | 3.59 |
| Mathematics | 3.53 | 4.24 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.48 | 3.84 |
| Telecommunications | 3.47 | 3.04 |
| Engineering and Technology | 3.45 | 3.24 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.36 | 4.75 |
| Mechanical | 3.29 | 3.81 |
| Education and Training | 3.19 | 3.50 |
| Physics | 3.11 | 3.79 |
| Administrative | 2.96 | 3.05 |
| Administration and Management | 2.75 | 2.48 |
| Law and Government | 2.64 | 2.62 |
| Geography | 2.53 | 2.67 |
| Communications and Media | 2.43 | 2.46 |
| Psychology | 2.36 | 2.47 |
| Production and Processing | 2.30 | 2.62 |
| Building and Construction | 2.28 | 2.24 |
| Chemistry | 2.14 | 1.95 |
| Design | 2.07 | 2.01 |
| Economics and Accounting | 2.00 | 1.50 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 1.94 | 1.45 |
| Transportation | 1.71 | 1.62 |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.71 | 1.32 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.47 | not rated |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.32 | 0.78 |
| History and Archeology | 1.17 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.16 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.09 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.06 | not rated |
| Foreign Language | 1.04 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.01 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.00 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Oral Expression | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.75 | 3.62 |
| Near Vision | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Written Expression | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Information Ordering | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Far Vision | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Selective Attention | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Visualization | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Number Facility | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Originality | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Time Sharing | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Control Precision | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Finger Dexterity | 2.00 | 2.12 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Depth Perception | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Memorization | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Manual Dexterity | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Reaction Time | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Trunk Strength | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Response Orientation | 1.88 | 1.25 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 1.62 | 1.00 |
| Rate Control | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Extent Flexibility | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Stamina | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Static Strength | 1.25 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.12 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.12 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.12 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Explosive Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Access hot
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- SAP software hot
- 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
- Milsoft DisSPatch
- OSI monarch/SGP
- Outage management system OMS
- Radius NetMan
- Radius Uni-View
- Siemens Energy and Automation
- Siemens Spectrum Power TG
- Siemens Spectrum PowerCC Distribution Management
- Substation automation system software
- Substation monitoring system software
- Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
- Telvent Responder Outage Management System OMS
- Wide area monitoring system WAMS software
- Wide area remote control system software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester, MA | 150 | 7.59 | $102,330 |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | 140 | 7.11 | $127,180 |
| Birmingham, AL | 100 | 3.66 | $138,260 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 210 | 3.45 | $102,170 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 220 | 3.28 | $155,690 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 240 | 2.31 | $124,140 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 100 | 1.16 | $173,120 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 180 | 1.12 | $111,450 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 150 | 1.04 | $110,970 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 330 | 0.95 | $106,730 |