Installation, maintenance and repair
Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
Inspect, test, repair, or maintain electrical equipment in generating stations, substations, and in-service relays.
Median pay
$103,020
Growth to 2035
+10%
faster than average
Openings a year
1,800
Time to qualify*
3.5 years
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- Less than 5 years
Calculate your switch to electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Exposure to disease
Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay: 34% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Inspect and test equipment and circuits to identify malfunctions or defects, using wiring diagrams and testing devices such as ohmmeters, voltmeters, or ammeters.
- Prepare and maintain records detailing tests, repairs, and maintenance.
- Consult manuals, schematics, wiring diagrams, and engineering personnel to troubleshoot and solve equipment problems and to determine optimum equipment functioning.
- Analyze test data to diagnose malfunctions, to determine performance characteristics of systems, or to evaluate effects of system modifications.
- Open and close switches to isolate defective relays, performing adjustments or repairs.
- Notify facility personnel of equipment shutdowns.
- Repair, replace, and clean equipment and components such as circuit breakers, brushes, and commutators.
- Run signal quality and connectivity tests for individual cables, and record results.
Also called: Electrical and Instrumentation Technician (E and I Technician) · Electrical Technician · Instrument and Control Technician (I and C Technician) · Instrumentation and Control Technician (I and C Technician) · Relay Technician · Substation Electrician · Substation Mechanic · Substation Technician
Outlook and AI
Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay held 20,900 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 22,900 by 2035 (+10%, faster than average; all jobs: +3.5%).
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