How to Become a Distribution System Operator
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a distribution system operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $26.25 an hour? That's $54,606 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -5% and produce -6,100 job opportunities across the U.S.
What Does a Distribution System Operator Do
There are certain skills that many distribution system operators have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed analytical skills, detail oriented and math skills.
How To Become a Distribution System Operator
If you're interested in becoming a distribution system operator, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 36.2% of distribution system operators have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 4.1% of distribution system operators have master's degrees. Even though some distribution system operators have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a distribution system operator. When we researched the most common majors for a distribution system operator, we found that they most commonly earn associate degree degrees or bachelor's degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on distribution system operator resumes include high school diploma degrees or master's degree degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a distribution system operator. In fact, many distribution system operator jobs require experience in a role such as petroleum supply specialist. Meanwhile, many distribution system operators also have previous career experience in roles such as specialist or customer service representative.
Distribution System Operator Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of foreman you might progress to a role such as supervisor eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title warehouse manager.
Average Salary for a Distribution System Operator
What Am I Worth?
Top Colleges for Distribution System Operators
1. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY • Private
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
3. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
4. University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Lafayette, LA • Private
5. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred
Alfred, NY • Private
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
7. Sacred Heart University
Fairfield, CT • Private
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
10. Siena Heights University
Adrian, MI • Private
Top Skills For a Distribution System Operator
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 20.2% of distribution system operators listed safety procedures on their resume, but soft skills such as analytical skills and detail oriented are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Distribution System Operator Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Distribution System Operator templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Distribution System Operator resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Distribution System Operator Demographics
Distribution System Operator Gender Distribution
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among distribution system operators, 12.9% of them are women, while 87.1% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among distribution system operators is White, which makes up 76.2% of all distribution system operators.
- The most common foreign language among distribution system operators is Spanish at 54.5%.
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Best States For a Distribution System Operator
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a distribution system operator. The best states for people in this position are California, Connecticut, Nevada, and Washington. Distribution system operators make the most in California with an average salary of $85,199. Whereas in Connecticut and Nevada, they would average $80,106 and $74,977, respectively. While distribution system operators would only make an average of $74,977 in Washington, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Alaska
$73,795
Avg. Salary
2. California
$85,199
Avg. Salary
3. Nevada
$74,977
Avg. Salary
How Do Distribution System Operator Rate Their Jobs?
Top Distribution System Operator Employers
Most Common Employers For Distribution System Operator
| Rank  | Company  | Average Salary  | Hourly Rate  | Job Openings  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KBR | $79,243 | $38.10 | 71 |
| 2 | Fluor Corporation | $79,243 | $38.10 | 31 |
| 3 | US Air Conditioning Distributors | $79,243 | $38.10 | 11 |
| 4 | LB&B Associates | $79,243 | $38.10 | 8 |
| 5 | PPL | $79,243 | $38.10 | 5 |
| 6 | Eversource Energy | $79,243 | $38.10 | 5 |
| 7 | Pepco Holdings | $79,243 | $38.10 | 4 |
| 8 | PNM Resources | $79,243 | $38.10 | 4 |
| 9 | IBM | $79,243 | $38.10 | 3 |
| 10 | National Grid plc | $79,243 | $38.10 | 3 |