Electric system operator vs outside operator

The differences between electric system operators and outside operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an electric system operator and an outside operator. Additionally, an electric system operator has an average salary of $63,571, which is higher than the $40,793 average annual salary of an outside operator.

The top three skills for an electric system operator include SCADA, NERC and substation equipment. The most important skills for an outside operator are patrol, golf carts, and cart barn.

Electric system operator vs outside operator overview

	Electric System Operator	Outside Operator
Yearly salary	$63,571	$40,793
Hourly rate	$30.56	$19.61
Growth rate	-7%	-7%
Number of jobs	40,733	47,129
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	12	12

Electric system operator vs outside operator salary

Electric system operators and outside operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Electric System Operator	Outside Operator
Average salary	$63,571	$40,793
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $163,000	Between $29,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between electric system operator and outside operator education

There are a few differences between an electric system operator and an outside operator in terms of educational background:

	Electric System Operator	Outside Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Mechanical Engineering	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Electric system operator vs outside operator demographics

Here are the differences between electric system operators' and outside operators' demographics:

	Electric System Operator	Outside Operator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 95.5% Female, 4.5%	Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 1.7% White, 77.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 1.8% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.3%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between electric system operator and outside operator duties and responsibilities

Electric system operator example 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.

Outside operator example responsibilities.

Manage multiple large volume fermentation tanks simultaneously.
Used LOTO, permitting and procedures to ensure safe release of equipment.
Monitor process and equipment operating conditions through field gauges and DCS readings.
Perform facility wide LOTO on all equipment that work are to be perform on.
Load acrylamide, acrylic acid, and caustic onto trailers and railcars using industry standard PPE.
Monitor and adjust distillation variables such as: temperature, flow rate, pressure, and time.

Electric system operator vs outside operator skills

Common electric system operator skills

SCADA, 60%
NERC, 19%
Substation Equipment, 10%
Emergency Procedures, 6%
Electric Distribution System, 2%
PJM, 2%

Common outside operator skills

Patrol, 27%
Golf Carts, 10%
Cart Barn, 6%
Outside Operations, 5%
Golf Balls, 4%
Cart Fleet, 4%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Electric System Operator
Electric System Operator vs Outside Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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