How To Become An Electric System Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is an electric system operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an electric system operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $30.56 an hour? That's $63,571 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -7% and produce -8,600 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreElectric System OperatorUS Average

Salary

5.0

Avg. Salary $63,571

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.6

Growth rate -7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.37%

Asian 1.74%

Black or African American 5.29%

Hispanic or Latino 8.76%

Unknown 4.50%

White 77.35%

Gender

female 4.55%

male 95.45%

Age - 47.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47.5

Stress level

8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.2

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an electric system operator

Explore electric system operator education requirements

Most common electric system operator degrees

Bachelor's

51.9 %

Associate

18.5 %

Master's

7.4 %

Start to develop specific electric system operator skills

Skills	Percentages
SCADA	60.50%
NERC	18.84%
Substation Equipment	9.74%
Emergency Procedures	5.60%
Electric Distribution System	2.13%

Complete relevant electric system operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New electric system operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an electric system operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real electric system operator resumes.

Research electric system operator duties and responsibilities

Supervise and lead teams to be proficient in proprietary and commercial production and supply management software.
Complete annual NERC compliance training.
Help electrical maintenance department troubleshoot motors and other electrical devices.
Design and plan PowerPoint presentations for supervisors.

Apply for electric system operator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an electric system operator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do electric system operators rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Electric system operator reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019

Pros

Recieving the opportunity to train and educate myself with certified training. To be able to communicate and contribute a well documented dispatch call with accurate detailed information to complete the job.

Cons

I do not like to be stressed. I don't want to be poorly trained to do a superior job effort.